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Geneva – Alarm bells are ringing at the United Nations Human Rights office and the Agency for Refugees over the mass deaths, destruction and displacement in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, where reports of mass beheadings have emerged. and other atrocities.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, called on November 13 for “urgent measures” to be taken to protect civilians in the northeastern province of Mozambique, amid reports of a human rights situation every more alarming in an area where access is limited.
Mozambique’s state media reported earlier in the week that more than 50 people had been beheaded in the north of the country by Islamist militants.
The results of the US presidential elections have captured the attention of the world’s media, along with the fighting in Ethiopia, while the plight of Mozambique has remained under the radar and received little attention even from the United Nations.
The UN has admitted having difficulty verifying the exact number of deaths and who carried out the reported beheadings, but says the situation is “desperate” in Cabo Delgado. He has observed attacks by armed groups, killings of civilians, and heavy clashes with security forces in different parts of the province.
Three years of violence
“Dozens of people have reportedly died and hundreds have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in southern areas. More than 350,000 people have been displaced by violence in the past three years,” the office said. of Bachelet.
Since October 16, more than 14,000 people have fled by sea and reached the provincial capital, the port city of Pemba.
At least one ship has sunk, apparently leaving some 40 people dead, including children. The announcement of that tragedy was made by the UN a week after it happened.
Some areas have been deprived of humanitarian aid for more than six months, and many northern districts are practically isolated from the rest of the province.
“The situation is desperate both for those trapped in the conflict-affected areas, with little means to survive, and for those displaced throughout the province and beyond,” Bachelet said.
Deprived of basic necessities
“Those who remain have been deprived of their basic needs and run the risk of being killed, sexually abused, kidnapped or forcibly recruited by armed groups. Those who flee may die trying.”
Asked by AllAfrica At a press conference in Geneva who was responsible for the recent attack, a UN spokesperson could not offer clarity.
“It’s pretty murky data; it appears to be a mix of extremist groups, possibly with ties to ISIL. But also, there is a potentially criminal element as well,” said Rupert Colville of the UN Rights Office.
“And of course, on the other hand, there are the state security forces fighting them. And there have been reports of abuses and violations by both sides.”
The conflict has been entrenched in Mozambique for many decades, from the days of Portuguese colonial rule to the subsequent civil war that only ended this century, the Geneva-based World Council of Churches recently noted.
“Before and after Mozambique’s independence in 1975, the Mozambique Christian Council (CCM) contributed to national pacification in many unrecognized ways. This was possible because the ‘problem’ was known and therefore possible to solve. “said the Rev. Felicidade Naume Chirinda. , chairman of the MCC board, told the WCC.
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“These days, Mozambique is affected by three wars, namely the armed conflict in Cabo Delgado that began in 2017, the armed conflict in the central provinces of Manica and Sofala that began in 2019, and the coronavirus that is affecting the world. whole”. she said.
The Revd. Dinis Matsolo, bishop of the Mozambique Synod of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, told the WCC that in Cabo Delgado the church had been working to “create ‘spaces for dialogue’ by establishing interfaith peace groups in affected districts.”
He said the church was encouraging President Filipe Nyusi to continue dialogue efforts. We particularly salute his understanding that the solution to the crisis is more than military when he declared that ‘the solution to the Cabo Delgado problem is not only military. We recognize the need to promote socioeconomic development and promote greater social harmony. “Matsolo added.
