Speaking to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Sisters from the Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, based in Cabo Delgado, spoke about the “alarming situation” in the region, saying Islamist group Al Sunnah wa Jama’ah could take control of the entire province.

Sister Joaquina Tarse told ACN: “At first it seemed that they were only interested in the northern part of the province, but today it is clear that they want to seize control of the entire province, because they are already extending their activities to the south of Cabo Delgado.”

Her comments followed the latest attacks on Mocímboa da Praia by the Islamists, which forced many people to flee the port town last weekend (27th-28th June).

After attacks on the coastal town in April, Bishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa of Pemba told ACN of concerns that the extremists’ violence was motivated by a search for natural resources.

Sister Joaquina added: “When the jihadists come across the ordinary people, they tell them, ‘If you want to escape, run as far as you can, to the province of Nampula or another province’.

“So they are proposing to conquer the whole of Cabo Delgado”.

According to Bishop Lisboa, more than 1,100 people have been killed by the militants and more than 200,000 have been forced to flee their homes.

The Sisters are based in Cabo Delgado’s provincial capital Pemba, which has received thousands of IDPs from Mocímboa da Praia as a result of the militant attacks.

The whole article and picture are from:  acnuk.org 

Featured photo shows families who fled Mocímboa da Praia, Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique after it was attacked by Al Sunnah wa Jama’ah on 26th June 2020.