Mozambique: Islamist group kidnaps seven women

According to BBC News reporting on 5 October 2021, Islamic fighters kidnapped seven women from a village in Cabo Delgado. Troops belonging to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) failed to locate the whereabouts of the captives. In a separate incident, insurgents attacked a village in Mueda district, looting food and other items. World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "Since 2017, violent Islamic militants affiliated to the Islamic State group have been attacking the civilian population in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. The attacks have caused a human rights and humanitarian crisis that has left hundreds of thousands displaced and insecure. The fight against militant groups in Mozambique has intensified over the last months with troops deployed by the SADC and Rwanda giving support to Mozambique"s security forces. Portugal, the USA and the EU are also helping the country tackle radicalization and are involved in training government forces. Although progress has been made against the militants, the jihadists continue to strike. This incident only goes to show that much more needs to be done in addressing the Islamic militancy and a militarized approach cannot be the sole solution. Given that the militants continue to strike, there is still a high risk for Christians living in Cabo Delgado."