Maputo, 24 Apr (AIM) – Communities from the Mazeze and Chiúre-Velho administrative posts, in Chiure district, in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, have been experiencing moments of panic since last weekend due to the movement of groups of Islamist terrorists.
According to Wednesday’s issue of the independent newsheet “Carta de Moçambique”, the terrorist raids are forcing the local population to flee to safe places.
According to local sources, the situation is extremely worrying due to the unpredictability of the terrorists, as well as the supposedly weak response of the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces (FDS).
“The situation here in Chiure town is not good. We have information that they have attacked Chiúre-Velho, Napala and two other villages. Even here, the situation is worrying because the town is large and they could also come”, said one Chiure resident, Adelio Moises.
Another source said that “in order to contain the terrorist escalation, several units of the FDS are arriving in Chiúre district. We also heard on Monday that the local force from Mueda district had arrived”.
The sources also report the presence of the Mozambican air force deployed to contain the progress of the attackers.
“We see a helicopter flying over here, we think it’s from the FDS, but the problem is that the perpetrators are hiding and moving fast”, he said.
According to the paper’s sources, the terrorists have caused deaths in the communities, the numbers of which are not yet known, and have destroyed facilities. There are also reports of civilians being kidnapped.
The jihadist raids have paralysed voter registration in the Mazeze and Chiure-Velho administrative posts. The local branch of STAE (Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat) has withdrawn the registration brigades from Mazeze and Chiure-Velho, and it is not known when the registration will resume.
(AIM)
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