Originally published in The Christian Post
ISIS militants in Mozambique have captured and killed four Christians in northern Cabo Delgado Province, according to a report. The victims, who were apprehended over a span of several days in early November, were killed in separate incidents involving throat slitting and a gun attack.
The killings took place in Muidumbe District, within Cabo Delgado, a region that has been gripped by insurgents since 2017.
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The violence began on November 3, when Islamic State Mozambique, or IS-M, militants captured and slit the throats of two Christians they described as “infidel Christians,” Barnabas Aid reported.
Another Christian was killed on November 7 in a machine gun attack, and a fourth was captured and executed two days later, said the ministry.
Cabo Delgado has been the epicenter of a violent insurgency that has led to thousands of deaths and mass displacement. Since 2017, the region has seen an escalation of extremist activity, with IS-M being a central force in the conflict.
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The group is closely aligned with Islamic State Central Africa Province, operating out of northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with command support from an Islamic State leadership base in Somalia. The coordination points to a concerted effort by the Islamic State to establish an operational caliphate spanning the Swahili coast, professor Fernando Cardoso, a geopolitical expert, was quoted as saying. “They pursue their political goals according to a script dictated by the Islamic State.”
From the outset of the violence in 2017 to the end of 2023, attacks by IS-M insurgents have led to the displacement of over one million residents and the deaths of more than 2 100 civilians of various faiths.
The US State Department notes that the province has a majority Muslim population, but the nation as a whole is predominantly Christian, with Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians making up a significant portion of Mozambique’s population.
In its pursuit of control over Cabo Delgado, IS-M targets civilians.
In September, IS-M militants attacked a village in Mocimboa da Praia District, reportedly separating Christian and Muslim villagers before shooting the Christians. At least 11 Christians were killed that month.
“They opened fire on the Christians, riddling them with bullets,” the international charity Aid to the Church in Need quoted Friar Boaventura, a missionary in the region, as saying. “The attack was carried out by a local terrorist group that claimed allegiance to the Islamic State, and which said in a statement that it had killed 11 Christians in the operation. The actual number of victims may be higher, however, and there are also people who are seriously injured.”
While IS-M often claims it targets Christians, in practice, its attacks have also affected Muslim communities, according to the U.S. State Department, noting that the insurgency’s motivations seem to include not just religious extremism, but also broader political and socioeconomic grievances, which have been exploited by the insurgents to recruit members.
In response, both the Mozambican government and international forces have launched military campaigns to curb the insurgency. However, attacks on civilians carry on as IS-M maintains its grip on certain parts of the region.
The United States has listed IS-M as a terrorist organisation.
According to reports, the group publicly pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2019.
The Christian Council of Mozambique and the Islamic Council of Mozambique have been involved in peacebuilding efforts, including managing “peace clubs” aimed at supporting disarmament and reintegration initiatives to train combatants.
Religious leaders from both Christian and Muslim communities have also participated in efforts to ease tensions and provide aid to those affected by the conflict.
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