UN human rights chief says ‘desperate’ situation in Mozambique hit by violence

GENEVA – The UN on Friday called for urgent measures to protect civilians in the province of Cabo Delgado, northeast Mozambique, where jihadists are wreaking havoc, warning the population was “desperate.”

The UN human rights office said attacks by armed groups had increased in the region in recent weeks, reportedly killing dozens and forcing thousands to flee their homes.

“The situation is desperate both for those trapped in conflict-affected areas, with little means to survive, and for those displaced throughout the province and beyond,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, it’s a statement.

“Those who remain have been deprived of their basic needs and are at risk of being killed, sexually abused, kidnapped or forcibly recruited by armed groups. Those who flee may die trying,” he said.

Jihadists have wreaked havoc in Cabo Delgado for the past three years, devastating towns and cities as part of a campaign to establish an Islamist caliphate.

Militants have stepped up their offensive in recent months and violently seized swaths of territory, terrorizing citizens in the process.

Beheadings, kidnappings

In the past two weeks, there have been a series of attacks in various villages, with witnesses saying houses and public buildings were burned and dozens of people killed, the UN said, pointing to reports of numerous beheadings and kidnappings.

Last week, suspected militants beheaded more than a dozen men and boys participating in a male initiation ceremony, according to local sources.

The riots have killed more than 2,000 people since 2017, more than half of them civilians, according to the US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Group.

More than 400,000 people have been displaced by the conflict and have sought refuge in nearby towns and cities.

The UN rights office said on Friday that since October 16 alone, more than 14,000 people had fled by sea and reached the provincial capital, Pemba.

At least one ship has sunk, killing about 40 people, including children.

Meanwhile, thousands more are believed to be trapped in conflict areas, with many hiding in the bush for days, the UN said.

“Some areas have been deprived of any humanitarian aid for more than six months, as many districts in the north have been cut off from the rest of the province,” the statement said.

Bachelet emphasized that it was “essential that state authorities guarantee the protection of civilians inside and outside the areas affected by the conflict and that humanitarian agencies have guaranteed safe and unhindered access to provide life-saving assistance and protection.”

“This is particularly crucial given the risk of cholera and the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said, noting that Cabo Delgado is among the regions most affected by the coronavirus in the country.

The rights office also said it had received reports of violations by Mozambican security forces in recent years, including extrajudicial killings.

Bachelet asked that all these accusations be investigated and that the perpetrators “be held accountable.”

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