LILONGWE, Malawi
At least five villagers were killed Thursday in the conflict-hit Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique, according to security officials.
Army Branch Commander in the province, Andre Rafael Mahunguane, told reporters that a group of terrorists descended on the village of Melija in the Chiure district and rounded up villagers before executing the victims.
“But they later fled after some villagers had overpowered them. At the moment, the village has been abandoned because people are now living in fear following reported cases of fresh insurgent attacks in the area,” said Mahunguane.
Many groups are fighting for control of the mineral-rich region.
There have been recent killings of villagers and security officers in the region. Just days ago, two police officers were killed by villagers in a case of mistaken identity, said Mahunguane.
“The police officers went to one of the villages during night patrols, but the villagers killed them, because they thought they were terrorists. They later discovered that they were police officers on duty,” he said.
The United Nations High Commissioner for the Refugees (UNHCR) said more than 25,000 people have been recently displaced in the region, joining the over 1.3 million who were uprooted from villages since 2017.
