Maputo, 28 Feb (AIM) – Members of the Mozambican Defense and Security Forces, who are fighting islamist terrorists in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, are refusing to allow displaced people entry to Quirambo island, in Ibo district.
According to a report in Wednesday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Carta de Moçambique”, there was a confrontation on Tuesday morning between the defence forces and displaced people from the Mucojo administrative post, in Macomia district. The displaced families were looking for shelter following the new wave of attacks carried out by terrorists in parts of the province.
According to sources cited by the paper, “There’s been a struggle in Quirambo. Our relatives are being prevented from entering Quirambo by the police. We don’t know the reasons. At 10.00, people were still on the beach. There were many along the seafront”.
“The officers are telling the displaced people to get back on the boat and go back to where they came from”, this source added.
According to the paper, it is not known whether the defence and security forces were following “superior orders” or not “but what is certain is that they were doing everything they could to prevent the displaced people who had left Mucojo from entering Quirambo island, even in transit.”
On another island, Matemo, the ban on displaced people from Mucojo has been in place since January. According to sources, many boats coming from that area and the offshore islands have not been authorized to dock at Matemo.
(AIM)
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