BY SILAS NKALA
REFUGEES International has warned of the possibility of an influx of refugees into Zimbabwe and other countries in the southern African region fleeing from Islamic insurgency in Mozambique.
In a statement last week, director of communications Sarah Sheffer said the raging terrorist insurgency in Mozambique had resulted in the number of internally displaced people in that country going up from 70 000 to 700 000, amid calls for the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) to intervene.
The violence in Mozambique has resulted in Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who chairs the Sadc organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation, calling for a meeting to find a solution to the terrorist attacks in northern Mozambique.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will also attend the crunch meeting.
Last Wednesday, Masisi jetted into the country to discuss the security situation in Mozambique with Mnangagwa.
“Refugees International is concerned about violence and ongoing displacement in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province. On March 24, the Palma district was attacked by local, non-State armed groups,” Sheffer said.
“More than 5 000 people, mostly women and children, have been displaced from Palma in the week since. Over the last year, the number of people displaced internally has skyrocketed from 70 000 to 700 000.”
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She said aid groups reported that some children, many of whom have witnessed the killing of family members, were found disoriented after spending days alone in the bush without food or water, .
“Reports of children as young as 11 being beheaded have also emerged, painting a picture of terror and horror for those fleeing. Mozambique’s humanitarian crisis is further exacerbated by a range of climate-related disasters, including Cyclone Eloise which hit in January 2021.
“Refugees International calls on the international community to mobilise a swift response to this humanitarian crisis and for an end to the violence. Humanitarian actors are already stretched thin: the current humanitarian appeal for the Cabo Delgado emergency is only 1% funded. Donors must step up immediately to provide much-needed support.”
The Islamic State is reportedly expanding its influence in Mozambique by solidifying its hold on one of the country’s most important provinces, according to a new report on insurgent operations along the south coast of Africa.
Reports state that in just three years, an Islamist insurgency in northern Mozambique has killed an estimated 2 600 people.
Indications are that Mozambique’s violence has caused jitters in neighbouring Tanzania, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
In the past, Zimbabwe has welcomed thousands of Mozambican refugees after a civil war in that country.
- Follow Silas on Twitter @silasnkala
