Islamic State in Mozambique: attack on military base raises tensions in Cabo Delgado

The radical group Islamic State has recently claimed responsibility for an assault on the Kathupa military base, located in the interior of the district of Macomia, in Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique. The attack, which took place on 8 August, resulted in the deaths of 10 members of Mozambique's Defence and Security Forces (FDS), while seven other soldiers were injured.

The extremist group's official statement, released through the Amaq agency, included a photograph of the victims and confiscated material, the authenticity of which could not be confirmed. So far, the Mozambican authorities have not confirmed the incident.

This attack appears to have been an attempt to retake the base, which had been captured from the terrorists by the FDS last year. The President of the Republic of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, emphasised last week that Mozambique's Defence and Security Forces have managed to expel the terrorists from all the districts previously occupied in Cabo Delgado province, in the north of the country.

Nyusi also stated that the FDS, assisted by the local force, have tirelessly pursued the terrorists, dislodging them from the regions they occupied until 2021. The fight against the extremist group Islamic State in Cabo Delgado province has persisted for almost six years.

The military response, which began in July 2021 with the support of Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), managed to free some districts close to the gas projects, but new attacks have emerged to the south of the region and in the neighbouring province of Nampula.

Welcoming his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, the Mozambican President described the ongoing bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the SADC and Rwanda in the fight against terrorism. During this state visit, Mozambique and Kenya signed four memoranda of understanding and four agreements, including one in the area of defence.

Filipe Nyusi stressed the importance of Kenyan collaboration and experience in combating terrorism, acknowledging the common challenges faced by the two countries.

The conflict in northern Mozambique has already caused one million people to be displaced, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and approximately 4,000 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict-recording project. Both countries, Mozambique and Kenya, have been targets of attacks linked to the extremist groups Al-Shabaab and Islamic State.