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

INCIDENT REPORT

MOZAMBIQUE

• 25^th Sept- ISM targeted with automatic weapons a joint SAMIM-Mozambican army barracks in Namuembe in the Nangade district.
• 25^th Sept- several houses were razed to the ground following a militant attack in Natoko village in the Kisanga area.
• 25^th Sept- ISM militants attacked and killed several civilians in Ntotwe village near Mocimboa da Praia
• 24^th Sept- 2 people were killed and at least 6 others injured after ISM terrorists attacked Moisi village in the Mitoge area.
• 23^rd Sept- 1 Christian was beheaded following an attack by ISM in Amba village near Chud In the Mueda district.
• 22^nd Sept- Mozambican troops were attacked by armed militants in Nkonga village in Nangade district.
• 22^nd Sept- at least 9 soldiers were killed after militants attacked FADM-SADC troops in Chitama village in Nangade district.
• 19^th Sept- FADM-SADC were attacked by ISM militants in Quento Town in Macomia where at least a dozen of them were killed and images of the attacks circulated on social media.
• 20^th Sept- armed terrorists attacked a military barracks in Pundahar in Palma district.
• 20^th Sept- two people were brutally killed by militants in Bolo village in Pemba Bay area.
• 15^th Sept- at least 16 were killed in an attack by ISM terrorists in Nakoi village in Macomia. The militants attacked the military barracks armed with machine guns.
• 13^th Sept- 5 people were beheaded and at least 9 houses were razed to the ground in Ishiboa in Shior area.
• 12^th Sept- armed militants attacked Metoro village in Ancuabe district where they set fire to several homes.
• 12^th Sept- Cotwa and Irati villages located in Nampula were attacked by armed jihadists who torched several houses.
• 11^th Sept- a church and several other buildings were burned after militants attacked Yoncimbini village which is located in Namba area in Nampula province.
• 11^th Sept- ISM jihadists attacked Chibabedi village in Nangade district.
• 11^th Sept- at least 4 Christians were beheaded and their homes torched after ISM militants attacked Colobelo town in Muidumbe district in CD.
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• 09^th Sept- one Christian was killed and a church was burned By ISM militants in Ntataulu Village, Memba area in Nampula.
• 09^th Sept- 1 person was killed near Rovuma River in Nangade District of CD.
• 09^th Sept- 1 person was killed by ISM terrorists on the road between Ngueda and Nkoi villages which are located in the Macomia district.
• 08^th Sept- 8 people were killed, and over 120 houses burned when ISM militants in Naheco village in Memba district in Nampula province.
• 06^th Sept- 9 people among them an Italian nun were killed and several homes were razed by ISM militants in Chipene village in Memba district in Nampula province.
• 06^th Sept- several people were killed and houses torched by militants in the Bavala area of Memba district in Nampula province.
• 03^rd Sept- homes were razed to the ground in a suspected ISM attack in Kotowa, Odinepa in the Erati district of Nampula province.

Democratic Republic of Congo  

• 29^th Sept- militants attacked and razed to the ground military base in Bolongo in the Rwenzori sector.
• 23^rd Sept- ISCAP militants attacked, burned, and seized weapons from a military barracks in Bacho town in Beni, North Kivu province.
• 20^th Sept- ISCAP Militants ambushed a fuel convoy, razing 6 fuel trucks, and 2 motorcycles. Additionally, 2 Christians were killed in the attack that occurred on Bunia-Kisangani Road (RN4 Highway) between Tolytoly and Kundala Villages, Mambasa Region, Ituri Province.
• 20^th Sept- ISCAP militants attacked and burned several houses in Tolytoly village, Mambasa Region, Ituri Province.
• 20th Sept- two soldiers were killed and one injured after ISCAP militants attacked an army foot patrol with automatic weapons. The attack occurred between Kirumba and Kabaswa villages In Butembo and two rifles were seized in the attack.
• 08^th Sept- there were clashes between the Army and ISCAP terrorists in Mamodyoma village which is located between Mbau and Kamangu in Beni.
• 08^th Sept- A Red Cross member was attacked and killed by militants in an assault along the RN44 road between Biakati and Mambasa in Ituri Province.
• 08^th Sept- 5 Egyptians were killed in a nighttime assault on Goma Street in Bolongo, Beni.
• 06^th Sept- two intelligence officers were seriously wounded in a bombing that targeted an intelligence center in Bulengera, East of Butembo.

SOMALIA

• 15^th Sept- Islamic State Somalia (ISM) detonated an Explosive device on a vehicle of an officer of the Somali Intelligence, damaging the vehicle and injuring those on board, in the Shibis Area of Mogadishu, Somalia.
• 21^st Sept- a Somali police officer was killed after he was targeted with a hand grenade in Afgoye town in the Lower Shabelle region.

ANALYSIS AND OBSERVABLES

In Cabo Delgado, there was an uptick in attacks targeting security forces both the Mozambican troops as well as the allied SAMIM troops. While the attacks were used as exaggerated propaganda to magnify the strength of the militancy, it cannot be ignored that the attacks are also an avenue to resupply weapons and ammo while at the same stretching thin the already scarce military equipment.  

At the beginning of September, insurgents crossed the Lúrio river into Nampula province, marking the first incursion beyond Cabo Delgado since an attack on Lúrio village in Nampula in mid-June. Insurgents have mounted a sustained series of attacks, pushing several kilometers into Nampula, unlike the previous attack where the insurgents conducted a quick raid across the river, possibly to gather recruits, and immediately withdrew back to Cabo Delgado.

The Union’s (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell announced a €15m EU financial support package for SAMIM. The money will pay for camp fortifications and equipment such as storage containers, medical equipment, vehicles and boats, and technological devices. Additionally, the EU would soon approve a €20m package to support Rwanda’s military in Mozambique which is expected to offer reinforcement for the allied forces fighting ISM that as herein observed is seeking to expand out of Cabo Delgado and into neighboring Nampula.

In DRC, Joint FARDC-UPDF military operations revealed that they had arrested a terrorist identified as Ibrahim Mohamed of Kenyan nationality. This terrorist, originally from Mombasa, was arrested southeast of Boga, in Irumu territory. ISCAP has been pulling recruits from various nationalities with the East African nations making up a significant number of the foreign fighters active in DRC.

Just like in Mozambique, ISCAP has been attacking military barracks and patrols and it is evident that the militancy has been using the attacks to get ammunition and weapons to cater to the growing insurgency. Additionally in September, the jihadists attack foreigners and aid workers and intelligence further indicate that the militants have been establishing camps both in Ituri and North Kivu provinces.

Conclusion

• The insurgency in Mozambique has continually exhibited operational sophistication in its attacks. One of the most observable tactics is attacking away from their actual target to wear out and stretch out the military after which they attack in the concentrated areas or move major encampments from one location to another. The southern offensive into Nampula at the beginning of September coincided with an intensification of attacks in Macomia and Nangade.
• Hence, while the group continues to exhibit such a level of sophistication in the execution of attacks, the counterinsurgency efforts are unlikely to yield lasting results without the resurgence of the terror organization in Mozambique.
• The Caucus of elected officials from North Kivu is pushing for the evaluation and vacation of the state of siege in the province seeing as it has not achieved its objectives. If anything since the siege the groups appear to have expanded and they continue to spread fear and unrest.
• Joint operations FARDC-UPDF against the ISCAP and other armed groups in North Kivu and Ituri in September was extended for two months pending the deployment of the regional force of the East African Community (EAC).
• DRC is projected to benefit greatly from the deployment of the regional force seeing as the current UPDF deployment has been making a foray into choking the supply network that furnishes the ISCAP militancy, especially in North Kivu.