Violence and unrest persisted in Cabo Delgado province throughout December and into the start of 2025. Much of this violence was perpetrated by Islamic State-backed insurgents, but post-election instability also led to some deadly incidents.
Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) was mostly active around the Messalo river basin in Muidumbe district. Insurgents attacked the village of Miangalewa on 11 December, killing two civilians and stealing food and livestock, local sources told Zitamar News. Islamic State also claimed responsibility for the attack via social media.
Insurgents reappeared in the village on 18 December, sparking panic, but no casualties were reported.
On 25 December, insurgents looted the nearby village of Litapata, near the bank of the Messalo, causing the local population to flee to Muidumbe town.
Islamic State claimed on 2 January to have attacked the village of Matapata in Muidumbe, publishing a set of photos showing burning buildings and the dead bodies of three men in civilian clothes.
This was followed by another claim to have killed a Mozambican soldier in his barracks in the village of Quiterajo on the Macomia district coast on 4 January.
In an unprecedented incident, the traditional Naparama militia attacked security forces in the village of Namapa in the Eráti district of Nampula province, killing up to five troops, including the district police commander on 25 December, DW reported.
The Naparama, who take a potion that they believe makes them invulnerable to bullets, reportedly set fire to the police station, courthouse and medical warehouse.
The motive for this attack is not yet clear. The Naparama, who originally fought against Renamo in Mozambique’s civil war in the 1980s, re-emerged in 2022 to assist security forces in fighting ISM.
Unrest following the Constitutional Council’s certification of the general election results on 23 December, giving victory to the ruling party Frelimo and its presidential candidate Daniel Chapo, forced the temporary evacuation of staff from the Gemfields-owned Montepuez Ruby Mine (MRM), in Namanhumbir in Montepuez district.
Two people were shot dead as around 200 people tried to storm the MRM site on 24 December, Gemfields said in a statement.
Gemfields claimed illegal miners instigated riots in which MRM buildings and the police station in the nearby village of Namanhumbir were set on fire.
The mining company began a “phased return” of its staff on 26 December.
This article was produced by Zitamar News under the Cabo Ligado project, in collaboration with ACLED. The contents of the article are the sole responsibility of Zitamar News.
