ISIS fuels terrorism in Africa via Mozambique

Ahmed Adel

An apparent insurgent attack in northern Mozambique killed 16 people on Tuesday in the deadliest attack so far in the remote region, local sources told AFP on May 31.

Among the dead were three soldiers deployed on the truck to protect it from attack, a community leader told AFP.

Militant Islamists have been blamed for attacks on remote communities in the gas-rich, Cabo Delgado region since October 2017, killing more than 200 people and forcing thousands from their homes.

Foreign Policy said the Islamic State, aka Daesh, was shifting to Africa after its defeats in Syria and Iraq, especially in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mozambique. Foreign Policy highlighted cooperation between Daesh and rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Islamists in Mozambique.

Researcher Amira Abdel Halim, an expert on African affairs, has said Daesh is showing its ability to expand and spread taking advantage of the deteriorating situation in Mozambique to launch its terrorist operations in collaboration with the extremist groups in there.

“Daesh controls the northern region of Mozambique due to huge reserves of oil and natural gas here. That makes the region very attractive for the takfiri groups,” she told THE REFERENCE.

The researcher warned of the growing relationship between Daesh and rebel groups in Africa, citing that the situation in African countries is “very serious”.