Islamic State’s Central Africa Province (ISCAP) has made daring moves in its attempts to cement its growing presence in Mozambique after it captured two crucial town in the restive northern region. Last week, the insurgents occupied Quissanga, a coastal town in Mozambique’s restive Cabo Delgado province an attack that occurred barely two days after another similar attack in Mocimboa da Praia.
The attacks have triggered a mass exodus from Quissanga town which has Mozambique’s huge liquefied natural gas developments. In yet another related incident, IS claimed responsibility for the Mocimboa da Praia attack, which was countered by government forces who pushed out the militants after they attacked administration and military bases. Mocimboa is considered as on of the major urban centres in the region and is home to one of the largest mining company has the largest site.
Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama, locally known as al Shabaab was declared part of ISCAP by slain ISIS leader, Baghdadi and has since incorporated a branch located in DRC’s restive Beni region. The group has killed hundreds and displaced thousands since it launched attacks in October 2017. The attacks by ISIS affiliated terror organization have been showing a clear indication of an organization that is steadily gaining recognition as well a visible agenda that would quite adequately offer haven for terrorists from the sub-Saharan Africa. IS’ growing presence in Mozambique can be viewed not only as a national problem but also as an East African region problem seeing as an influx in attacks and presence can adequately spread owing to small jihadist groups with allegiance to ISIS-Central or seeking recognition from the Middle Eastern headquartered terror organization.
INSIGHT
A UN report released 30 January cited that IS-Somalia had been put in charge of ISCAP as part of a restructuring “aimed at consolidating decision-making and operational command centres. The move is in an effort by ISIS-C to ensure the survivability of its various affiliates in Africa as the group is defeated in Syria and Iraq.
ISS becoming the command centre for ISIS in the region will unquestionably inspire recruitment and financing for the group across the board both for local and regional missions. The reinvigorated group will resurge with amplified numbers as it can command attacks in all the partisan members making the jihadists more dangerous than any terror organization in the region.
Immediate repercussion of the growing threat caused by the AL Shabaab in Mozambique will be felt in the EA region seeing as the region both in the short and long term:
- A surge in the number of refugees in Tanzania and neighbouring countries could create a haven for recruitment as one once created in Dadaab for the al Shabaab. This could offer recruiting grounds for the group.
- Mozambique offers very affable environmental and geographical cover for the group to train its new recruits.
- With Kenya having crackdown on her porous border with Somalia, most wannabe jihadist were unable to travel to Somalia but since the emergence of ISCAP, terrorist have been able to travel to either Mozambique or DRC where the group has militant camps. This worrisome trend can only be addressed by allowing the concerned countries to establish rigorous border control measures that would take longer seeing as the world is currently facing a pandemic.
- The EA region has been reacting to the more pressing issue of disease spread that terrorism has taken a back seat which the groups can forthwith take advantage of to amerce fighters and logistical infrastructure.
- Al Shabaab Mozambique is positioned in the Middle of the gas-rich region which makes means as they seek to control it, they are seeking to facilitate the financial aspect of the group which has merged under the leadership of IS-Somalia.
It is categorical that the resurgence of the group will make the umbrella ISS-ISCAP group more lethal and with backing from the new Quraishi leadership, it is apparent that the group will have imported jihadists, boost in financial assistance as well as legitimacy that will inspire both organized and lone wolf martyrdom. The latest development will undoubtedly give the terror organization legitimacy inspiring increased recruitment, financiers and sympathisers.
