Another 22 Christians Killed as Insurgency Spreads in Northern Mozambique

At least 22 Christians have been killed in the past month as the situation in northern Mozambique further deteriorates.

The killings were claimed by Islamic State Mozambique (IS-M), which has been waging an insurgency in the region since 2017.

In one recent social media post, IS-M boasted that “the soldiers of the caliphate” had “killed four Christians … praise be to God” in the Muidumbe District of Cabo Delgado Province on November 20.

IS-M has become bolder in its activities in Cabo Delgado.

In October the group shared videos of its fighters preaching in mosques as part of a raid into Mocímboa da Praia, a port town in the north-east of the province that was held by IS-M from August 2020 until August 2021.

The fighters raised an Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) flag in the mosque. They denied being “criminals” but declared that they were fighting to set up an Islamic state.

See more: Islamic State Demand that African Christians Convert or Submit to Islamic Rule

Concerningly the violence has increasingly spread southwards into the neighboring province of Nampula.

In the past week at least six Christians have been killed in four IS-M attacks in Nampula. In a fifth no casualties were reported, but the Islamists claimed to have burned down two church buildings and 63 homes.

“This attack stands out as one of the most destructive IS-M operations in recent months,” said a researcher from the Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium. “It reflects IS-M’s consistent use of fire as a weapon to eliminate civilian infrastructure, erase religious and cultural identity, and render entire villages uninhabitable.

“For a rural community in Nampula Province, the loss of two churches and so many homes represents not only immediate displacement, but the collapse of social cohesion and long-term economic survival.”