The Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) which has taken center stage in the restive province of Cabo Delgado in the north of Mozambique has been on a campaign to take control of key locations especially near the border with Tanzania and along the coast. The group has remained elusive for the past three years and has only recently started exhibiting a consistent mode of operation as well as insight into the hierarchy within the group. Intelligence has indicated that the majority of the commanders at the helm of the various cells are mostly foreign-trained as well as part of the pioneering lot.
The growing threat posed by the group and the media propaganda by the group as well as eyewitness accounts of the operations by the group has led to the identification of prominent figures and commanders within the group and especially leading to the arrests of members and facilitators in the past two months. Bonade Machude Omar popularly known as Ibn Omar has been identified as a key commander for the group and has been as early as 2016 and has taken responsibility for the group’s operations.
However, intelligence has uncovered that while Ibn Omar was considered the leader of ISCAP in Cabo Delgado there is a mastermind believed to outrank him and has been the instigator of the recent violent campaign by the terror organization. Being rich and influential within his community he has been responsible for the recruitment of new members as well as the masterminding of attacks in the various districts in Cabo Delgado.
Abdala Likonga Hustadhi Shaki alias Abdala Shaki is at the apex of the group’s leadership and is a founding member of the group. The Mocimboa da Praia native is believed to have been radicalized in Kenya and D.R. Congo and has used his affluent status to travel, recruit and offer substantial support to the group. He is believed to have faked his death after which he disappeared and became an official member of the group suspected of leading the team conducted one of the first attacks against MDP in October 2017. Like his founding member counterparts who were radicalized in various locations across East and Central Africa, he poses a major threat as his training cannot be quantified or estimated as it was done abroad.
Such key and elite members within the leadership ring have accorded ISCAP Mozambique the seemingly sophisticated maneuvers and attacks against both civilian populations and at the same time wearing out the security forces and can be credited to the continued seizure of the port city of Mocimboa da Praia. MDP is fundamental especially to the financial health of the group as it is a key transit point for contraband commodities in Africa.
