Islamic Insurgency in Cabo Delgado: The Reappearance of an Old Enemy
By Josh Wells ‘24
On October 5th, 2017, the port town of Mocímboa da Praia in northern Mozambique was shocked by a brutal, pre-dawn raid on three of its police stations. Thirty armed insurgents, affiliated with Islamist insurgent group Ansar al-Sunna, briefly occupied all three stations, where they stole firearms and ammunition. Seventeen individuals were killed, including two police officers. This attack was the spark for an Islamic Insurgency in the Cabo Delgado region that had been brewing for several years, causing a high number of civilian casualties and opening the way for ISIS to reemerge.
Who are Ansar al-Sunna?
The thirty armed insurgents from the October 5th attack were members of a radical, Islamic movement named Ansar al-Sunna. Founded in 2012 by followers of the radical Kenyan cleric Aboud Rogo, the group believes that the practice of Islam in Mozambique no longer follows the teachings of Muhammad. Based in the northernmost districts of Cabo Delgado, they hold radical, anti-Christian, and anti-Western views that are reflected in their actions towards the local citizens. Their members started off by entering local mosques while armed, threatening worshipers for their failure to follow their fundamental version of Islam. Following this, they would attempt to prevent people from using other institutions, such as hospitals and schools, that, in their view, were secular or anti-Islamic. Despite its religious roots and ideology, much of the group’s membership is drawn from individuals who were mistreated or marginalized by the government.
Locally, the group was referred to as ‘al-Shabaab’ despite having no connection with the larger al-Shabaab group based in Somalia. Therefore, it is commonly referred to online as al-Shabaab Mozambique. The leadership of Ansar al-Sunna upholds Salafi-jihadist ideology. This is a transnational, fundamental, militant form of Sunni Islam. Their goal is believed to be the establishment of a global caliphate under Islamic rule and Shar’ia law (the religious Islamic law based on the teachings of the Qur’an and Hadith) in its most fundamental form.
In 2017, the group started to expand and become increasingly violent. They expanded activity into key areas of Cabo Delgado- such as Macomia, Montepuez, and Mocímboa da Praia, where they received training from ex-policemen and frontier guards who had also become disillusioned with the government. They were also said to have made contact with other Islamist groups in the region.
Membership of Ansar al-Sunna expanded due to social and political issues in the Cabo Delgado region. This region of Mozambique is isolated due to its geographic position and lack of critical infrastructure. Economic issues in the region drove unemployment and inequality. These poor socioeconomic conditions led to increased numbers of youth being attracted by a radical movement that was advocating for an end to the current corrupt leadership. A significant number of these rebels are drawn from the Mwani and Makua ethnic groups.
The Insurgency
Following the attack on the police stations on October 5th, 2017, Mozambique security forces responded aggressively, arresting 52 suspects over the next five days. . Then, on Oct 27th, after further skirmishes, the Mozambique national police confirmed the arrest of a further 100 members of Ansar al-Sunna. This was the de facto declaration of war between the national and rebel forces.
During the rest of 2017, the insurgents stepped up their aggression through assassinations and attacks on villages. On December 16th, 2017, the extremists attacked a military convoy and assassinated a high ranking official who, after being shot, was dismembered by machetes.
The executions at the end of 2017 signalled a move increasingly towards terrorist tactics than simply those of a rebel force. For example, on May 27th, 2018, ten civilians were beheaded in the rural village of Montane. Another common tactic of these attacks was the burning of homes in these villages, such as in September when the militants burnt 55 houses in the village of Paqueue. Recognizing the threat, the US embassy advised American Citizens to leave the country. Additionally, in early 2018, the African Union reported that Islamic State (ISIS) fighters had joined the insurgent forces. Despite this report, the Mozambique government refused to acknowledge the group’s presence until 2020, when they admitted the presence of ISCAP (Islamic State Central Africa Province).
The insurgency progressed in 2019 and ISIL became increasingly involved. ISCAP, first appearing in April 2016, as the ‘Islamic State in Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda’, claimed they led an attack on the Mozambique army at Mitopy on June 4, where at least 16 individuals were killed. This was followed up by a second attack on July 3 at Nangade with 7 murdered - 6 civilians and a police officer. The presence of ISIS is contested by some sources.
The conflict grew in scope as the government purchased the support of Russian mercenaries and paramilitary groups. In early October 2019, the government led a counter-offensive with the support of the Wagner Group, a contracted Russian paramilitary organisation. The operations pushed the insurgents back in several positions and forced a retreat into the woods. In response, the insurgents launched several ambushes killing both government soldiers and mercenaries.
With more groups present, the conflict became increasingly complicated with stronger advances by both sides. In the first few months of 2020, the insurgents made significant progress. In March, the extremists captured Mocmboa da Praia with a joint attack by land and sea. They attacked government buildings, raised their black flag, looted and retreated all within the same day. This key stronghold exchanged hands multiple times during the year and typically reflected the direction of the conflict. When the Islamist leaders held Mocimboa they were typically on the advance. For example, two days later, they raided the capital of the Quissanga district south of Mocimboa. In retaliation, the government launched attacks on the Islamist held Ibo and Quirimbas islands. As the conflict escalated, the Islamists correspondingly ramped up their terror tactics. The most abhorrent example was the Nov 6, attacks on the village of Muatide where 50 people were beheaded.
Terror tactics continued into early 2021 with an attack on a local soccer team in January where five people were killed, and an al-Sunna raid on the village of Naminue where four young boys were kidnapped. Perhaps due to the involvement of US Army Special Forces and South African National Defense Force, the federal forces made significant gains in August, retaking the key town of Mocimboa along with Mbau and the militant base at Ntchinga.
What Happens Next?
The conflict remains of international significance. If the insurrection regains its strength and breaks out of the Cabo Delgado region, it could endanger the national security of Mozambique as a whole. Should this happen, the Islamic State may be able to use the eastern African coast as a new stronghold. The increasing militancy and terror tactics of Ansar al-Sunna could thus expand this conflict from an insurgency into a broad humanitarian crisis.
What began as local aggression by a group of young Islamist fundamentalists has grown into a significant national threat, with connections to established terror groups and a penchant for brutality. Ansar al-Sunna, referred to as ISIS-Mozambique by the United States State Department, was declared as a terrorist organization that presents a ‘significant risk of committing acts of terrorism.’
Today, the conflict is still raging in the Cabo Delgado region with Rwandan forces joining the fighting to push out the militants. They have since gained control of the port of Mocimboa, pushing the militants into retreat. The conflict is still ongoing, but it seems Anar al-Sunna may be on its final stand.