Monthly Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Brief for East and Central Africa (Somalia, Mozambique, DR-Congo, Tanzania, Uganda): Tracking Islamic State Terrorists in March 2022

March has been especially significant for the Islamic State seeing as it marked the beginning of the new leadership following the deaths of the Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraysh and spokesman Abu Hamza Al-Quraysh. Thus, various provinces across the globe have been pledging allegiance to the new leader which has conversely seen a spike in group’s activities as they seek favour and approval from the new leadership.  

All IS affiliates have been stepping up their activities where the groups have been attacking civilians, security forces as well as local militias allied to the government forces. DRC has seen a spike in attacks especially with automatic weapons and the reappearance of IEDs despite the huge presence of both Congolese and Uganda troops in Ituri and North Kivu provinces. In Mozambique, there has been a surge in attacks near the border with Tanzania as well as the relatively calm island areas. ISCAP exhibited capabilities that have been until now greatly understated when they faced off with security forces in Matemo Island.

The entry of new leaders has been seen to have reinvigorated the activities of the various branches of IS and as COIN actors ought to re-evaluate strategies and especially in DRC and Mozambique, it is evident that combat solutions alone are not all the way effective and have instead motivated the morphing of the group to be adaptable.

INCIDENT REPORT

Mozambique

• 6^th Mar- at least one Mozambican soldier was killed by ISCAP in Nova Zambezia, Macomia district, and a large supply of military equipment, including automatic weapons, ammunition, and rocket-propelled grenades were captured.
• 10^th Mar- at least one Mozambican soldier was killed and several injured after ISCA militants attacked their position with automatic weapons in Nova Zambezia village in Macomia district.
• 11^th Mar- militants attacked Namuembe village, Nangade district where the local authorities had announced mop-up operations.
• 15^th Mar- 2 people were beheaded in Xinavane 2, just outside Macomia town as they were going to their fields.
• 16^th Mar- ISCAPmilitants attacked Matemo Island, Quirimba Archipelago Islands, off the Ibo Peninsula; intelligence reports continued shootings with automatic weapons. They claimed to kill at least 7 soldiers.
• 17^th Mar- at least Mozambican soldiers were killed on the ‘Tourist Island’ of Matemo Island, Quirambas Archipelago; some of the soldiers were beheaded and their bodies were displayed on social media.
• 18^th Mar- insurgents beheaded two people in Litingina, Nangade district before clashing with police officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR).
• 20^th Mar- ISCAP insurgents attacked Naida village in Mueda district killing one person.
• 21^st Mar- there were violent clashes that took place between insurgents and security forces in Macomia where at least one person was killed.
• 24^th Mar- insurgents raided Alberto Chipande (locally as Nachipande) village in Mueda district 20 km to the west, near the Tanzanian border, killing at least two women.
• 27^th Mar- insurgents were reported to have arrived in Nambungali, North Mueda where they intimidated residents

DRC

• 4^th Mar- 1 person was killed several injured and others kidnapped following an ISCAP attack in Budibuya village, Watalinga chiefdom, Beni territory.
• 7^th Mar- an ISCAP ambush by ISCAP resulted in the death of 1 person and the burning of 2 cars and a motorcycle on the road that links Kasindi and Butembo in North Kivu.
• 9^th Mar- 6 people were killed with machetes in Kithiri village near Kavasewa in Bashu chiefdom in Beni. Houses were burned to the ground and looted as well as a couple of people were kidnapped.
• 9^th Mar- 3 people were brutally killed by ISCAP in Mambelenga village, Walese Vonkutu, Irumu territory.
• 11^th Mar- 5 civilians were killed by ISCAP terrorists in Kisanga village located on the border between Irumu and Beni territories.
• 12^th Mar- 27 people were killed, several houses and motorcycles burned, several people missing in Mambumembume village, Mamove.
• 12^th Mar- 5 people were killed by ISCAP in several villages in Mamove as the terrorists escaped.
• 15^th Mar- 52 people were killed ISCAP in 3 villages in Irumu territory in Ituri province, Bandavilemba grouping, Walese Vonkutu chiefdom. The massacre occurred in Otambare, Ndimo, and Apende villages where the victims were savagely killed with machetes.
• 16^th Mar- 6 Christians and 1 soldier were killed in an ISCAP attack in Kamango, Beni
• 16^th Mar- A taxi driver and his client were killed by suspected ADF in Katabeyi, chiefdom of Walese Vonkutu, Irumu.
• 16^th Mar- 2 people were killed and 12 houses burned down by ISCAP militants in a new incursion in Kisuhi Village, Rwenzori sector.
• 19^th Mar- ISCAP attacked militia allied to the Congolese military in Misingi and Kota Naresby, Ituri Province where they burned several houses.
• 19^th Mar- Christians were targeted with machine guns, killing 4, burning 2 motorcycles, on the road linking the towns of Erengeti and Oicha in Beni.
• 19^th Mar- A Congolese army foot patrol was ambushed, targeting them with machine guns, leading to their escape, militants seized a rifle, Tisbi village in Rwenzori sector, Beni.
• 20^th Mar- several people were injured after militants attacked with automatic weapons on the road that services Komanda, Ituri province.
• 21^st Mar- ISCAP attacked militia allied to the Congolese military in Abakulu, Ituri Province where they caught and beheaded one person and burned several houses.
• 26^th Mar- 2 people were killed after ISCAP attacked with automatic weapons, burning and damaging 4 motorcycles on the road linking Kamangu and Nobili in Beni.
• 26^th Mar- 2 IEDs were detonated on a foot patrol of the Congolese army, killing and wounding a number of them, Moso Village, Rwenzori Region.
• 27^th Mar- 5 people were killed in Loselose, Beni after ISCAP attacked Christians with automatic weapons.

SOMALIA

• 11^th Mar- ISS released photos pledging allegiance to the new leader Abu Hassan al-Hashimi al-Quraysh.
• 12^th Mar- ISS claimed an IED attack on a Somali national Army Patrol in Takinli Area in Mogadishu where at least 1 soldier was injured.
• 19^th Mar- an IED was detonated on a vehicle of a Somali government official, destroying it and wounding the occupants. The attack occurred in the Karan area, Mogadishu.

NOTABLES

In Mozambique, ISCAP has been attacking locations donning Mozambican Defense and Security Forces (FDS) military fatigues, and initially claiming to be there to defend the island before burning homes and looting food. The presence of Mozambican troops backed by allied foreign troops has been instilling faith in the possibility of the defeat of the militants. However, ISCAP having military uniforms is a trend that will hinder CT operations on many levels including the decline in the public trust in the military.

The militants have been feeling the pressure as security forces continue to close in on them with their bases being dismantled. In the first week of March, over 30 insurgents were killed after Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR) attacked their base in Machava, Nangade district. As food shortages become increasingly grave, insurgents seemingly released around 200 hostages across Macomia, Muidumbe, and Mocímboa da Praia districts.

The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, made a three-day visit to Mozambique where he gave assurances of continued support from Portugal and the European Union to the government of Mozambique’s counterinsurgency efforts through the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) in Mozambique, a two-year training program launched in October 2021.

Southern African Development Community (SADC) announced that it had set up a Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre (RCTC) in Tanzania that would coordinate the region’s counterterrorism efforts. This is welcome as Rwanda, Tanzania and Mozambique forge a collaborative COIN approach to the militancy that has been gravitating towards Tanzania, especially this month when attacks near the River Rovuma were observed. The collaboration will ensure intelligence sharing and operation cooperation that will prevent the group from regrouping or returning to already rescued locations.

In Somalia, the group appears to have amerced more fighters, with better weaponry as well as the presence of child soldiers as is the case with the ISCAP branches. This has contradicted the previous speculation that that group is dwindling and retreating into the mountain while the photos clearly show an organization that has restricted as well as better armed which could pose a great threat in Somalia especially seeing that SI analysts have indicated that the group could have a substantial number of fighters in the south of Somalia, especially in the capital, Mogadishu.

In DRC, Civilians have expressed outrage at the continued state of siege in North Kivu and Ituri where ISCAP is active and appears to have not slowed down. Worrying statistics are despite the deployment of the joint Ugandan-Congolese troops and as such triggering the urgent need to reevaluate the strategies and operational areas and effectiveness of the mission. This is indicated by the increased number of simultaneous attacks in both Provinces, the reemergence of IEDs, and the use of automatic weapons in the increasing attacks.

Intelligence has further reiterated the presence of foreign fighters within the top ranks of the ISCAP leadership. Evidenced by the recent killing of a commander believed to be of Somali descent and another of Tanzanian this year. It is clear that the group poses a great threat not only to DRC but also to the East African region and prompts the need to fill the CT cooperation vacuum with the neighboring countries.