A self-defense group recently created in northern Mozambique to combat jihadist groups operating in Cabo Delgado (north) has claimed to have killed eleven suspected terrorists in the Balama district.
Agostinho Quiveto, commander of this group, called Namparama, indicated that the clashes also resulted in the wounding of six suspects and added that their intervention has allowed the return of people displaced by insecurity.
He stressed that this self-defense force is carrying out patrols in the area and emphasized that it is acting in line with the coordination recommendations of the Mozambican security forces, as reported by the news portal Carta de Mozambique.
The chief of the Mozambican Police, Bernardino Rafael, asked the population at the end of September to «resist» with «knives» or «machetes» in the face of jihadist attacks. He also revealed that the security forces «are going to offer military training to some members of the population to create a Local Force in order to achieve more security».
Mozambican authorities have highlighted during the last months an improvement of the security situation in the area due to joint operations with Rwandan special forces and troops deployed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Cabo Delgado has been the scene since October 2017 of attacks by Islamist militiamen known as Al Shabaab, unrelated to the eponymous group operating in Somalia with ties to Al Qaeda. Since mid-2019 they have been mostly claimed by Islamic State in Central Africa (ISCA), which has stepped up its actions since March 2020.
