I know, there is too much tension in our nation because of oppression of the opposition leaders. Nonetheless, it is worth knowing what else is happening around your home, especially those issues that one day are likely to catch up with you and disturb your peace and tranquility, even worse than your current woes.
Two months ago, I posted here a concern of Al-shabaab terrorists operating in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado; that they had taken over a province in Mozambique. According to the post I made, the terrorists’s ultimate mission is to establish an Islamic State of Central Africa. With regard to the SADC situation, my concern was on the I-don’t-care-attitude taken by the regional body on these terrorists. I believed that this attitude is fatal, and that SADC was bound to soon regret when these rebels consolidate their hold in Mozambique, and embark on cross border attacks. My post did not attract due attention.
Now, barely two months after my post, the terrorists have carried their first war across the border into Tanzania, where they murdered and beheaded 20 people last week on Wednesday, according to a report in this week Monday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Carta de Mocambique”, citing Tanzanian sources.
The raid was against the village of Kitaya, in Mtwara province, near the border with the Cabo Delgado district of Palma.
According to military sources cited by the newssheet, the terrorists entered Tanzania by sea, going up the Rovuma river that forms the border between Mozambique and Tanzania.
The raiders burnt down houses, destroyed an armoured vehicle and stole money and military equipment. The terrorist network that calls itself “Islamic State” claimed responsibility for the attack, and said it had killed three Tanzanian soldiers.
Videos and photographs circulated by the terrorists on social media show them decapitating a man and throwing his head onto a road. In the videos the murderers speak in Swahili (which is the lingua franca of much of east Africa, including Tanzania), in Emakua (one of the main languages of northern Mozambican), and in Kimwani (only spoken in a few Cabo Delgado coastal districts).One of the terrorists can be heard saying “”We have nothing to do with the coming elections (in Tanzania). We are here, and we are going to kill and leave his head on the road. They are pigs. God is great”.
In a second video, terrorists are tearing up a poster of Tanzanian President John Magufuli, who is standing for a second term of office. “Here is the face of Magufuli, which means we are in his country. We are the Al-Shabaabs of Mozambique and we have come here to teach you our doctrine”.
The Cabo Delgado group have been called “Al-Shabaab” colloquially for at least three years, and now seem to be using the name themselves. They are not known to have any formal connection with the Somali terrorist group of that name.
The raiders also threatened to return, reports a second newssheet, “Mediafax”. There are also reports, not yet confirmed, of an attack against a second village, Mahembe, about eight kilometres from Kitaya.
In Cabo Delgado, people fleeing from the terrorist attacks, are continuing to pour into the provincial capital, Pemba. According to “Carta de Mocambique”, on Saturday 25 boats, each carrying between 30 and 40 displaced people, arrived at Pemba’s Paquitequete beach.
In all, some 700 people arrived, fleeing from Macomia district, and from islands in the Quirimbas archipelago. The jihadists attacked Macomia town last week, but were driven back by the defence and security forces. The situation in Macomia is said to remain tense.
SADC, wake up please. Take action before these terrorists overwhelm our relatively peaceful region.
President
Green Party of Zambia (The Greens)
Bill 10 is history in the Zambezi River thanks to democracy and thanks to those who voted against and absteined from voting.
PF must go!
My biggest worry is the gold we have discovered. They use poverty to indoctrinate the locals. More the reason why govt needs to empower the villagers from where these resources come from. That way they will be our eyes and ears and report any suspicious characters to our security forces
Don’t count on any of the SADC leaders to resolve this, they are too busy persecuting their respective opposition political parties and consolidating their dictatorships.
It will be not too long before this start happening in Zambia
God forbid.
Terrorism in Southern Africa is huge threat.
Countries neighbouring Mozambique may think they are safe, they are not. They need to act fast before the scourge spreads to the entire region and it becomes everyone’s problem.
This is a source of concern. The spark must be put off before it grows into an uncontrollable flame. The peace and safety of everyone in the region is at stake with such barbaric acts in some neighbouring countries. It calls for red-alert attention from Zambian, Tanzanian and >Mozambican defence forces, who must collaborate and dealt with the perpetrators as early as possible.
The SADC leaders should urgently convene on an emergency security indaba and authorise the SADC Brigade to cleanup this region of Mozambique.
Edgar appreciates the threat posed by the Al-Shabbab TERRORIST group and the need to eradicate it before it becomes stronger and hits Zambia.
Surround the region and slowly squeeze out the terrorists while minimizing civilian loses
Zero tolerance to that nonsense. Don’t even debate it bane. Cut it before it grows its head any bigger! Kulibe Kuti ma international meeting cakuti-cakuti. Let’s sort it out African style.
Get ready for a war of attrition.
Beheading people, a creeping menace.
The Tanzanian and Mozambique Army together with a Task force of Special Forces (Commandos) from SADC nations, here I would specifically choose Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia should be deployed ASAP to secure the whole intersection of border areas shared by Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. Such a Task force should be under placement for at least 6 months to 1 year inorder to completely neutralise these digusting cowardly terrorist cretins.
Reading that story is like hearing Tutwa Ngulube saying stuff in Kabwe. I feel safe with PF militias, they should patrol Mozambican border.
They terrorists do not want to face off with the Zambian defense forces. Don’t think that when our neighbors still had civil wars the Zambian defense forces were just idle. These terrorists will believe.
Islam is areligion of peace. Look around good examples of Syria, Somalia, France, Iraq, Iran, China, Russia. Wherever they go, they spread the word of Allah peacefully. Examples abound, severed heads do not tell lies. Peace is good. Allah is great. Convert to Islam, 4 wives on earth and 72 virgins in Paradise. Is it not a wonderful package, worth considering?
4 wives on Earth and 72 virgins in paradise. That sounds like a man’s world. What about women? Is sex all there’s to live for?
Concerted efforts must be undertaken urgently by all countries in the region to nip the incursions in the bud. Nigeria, a supposedly formidable milltary entity, has been made to appear weak against these jihadists because Nigeria didn’t take them seriously.
Make no mistake. Global Jihad is targeting us.
SADC and AU are the most useless presidential clubs which cant even make decisions at that scale.