Bi-Weekly Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Brief for East and Central Africa (Somalia, Mozambique, DR-Congo, Tanzania, Uganda): Tracking Islamic State Terrorists Between 01st- 16th February 2023

Inside:

In Mozambique, in February the Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) insurgents appear to have broken into three main fighting groups which in the past two weeks carried out simultaneous attacks Mueda, Montepuez, and Meluco districts. The attacks had the intention of cutting off the two main highways connecting the north and south of Cabo Delgado province.

The militancy in Cabo Delgado appears to be emulating al Shabaab, the al Qaeda-affiliated group in Somalia as they seek to establish a shadowy government in the north of Mozambique. The militants have warned villagers against collaboration with security forces, promising a better life if they cooperated with them, promised to pay for their supplies as well as urged the residents not to fear them or flee from their homes.

In DRC Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) appears to have resulted in conducting attacks along the main roads in both North Kivu and Ituri provinces. The attacks have been used to restock their supplies and weapons and take advantage of the attention other rebel groups like M23 and CODECO have been receiving especially with the presence of East African troops deployed in Goma.

In Somalia, the US killed Bilal al-Sudani a key figure in the Islamic State network in Africa in an operation conducted by Special forces in Puntland. Al Sudani was very instrumental and an important leader for the Islamic State’s operations across much of eastern, central, and southern Africa. The group also suffered more setbacks after the wife of the group’s leader was sentenced to prison for being an active financial facilitator for the group, especially in Mogadishu where was arrested.

Incident Report:

MOZAMBIQUE

• 13^th Feb- Armed militants attacked and burned a military base in Nairoto village in the Montepuez district of Cabo Delgado. At least five soldiers were killed in the attack.
• 12^th Feb- ISM insurgents attacked a Border Guard’s position in Nairoto, Montepuez they looted shops & burned 2 police vehicles.
• 10^th Feb- ISM left a handwritten letter in Mwiriti Concession in Nairoto, Montepuez district. The letter was urging the civilians not to flee in an attempt to win over the residents by suggesting that the group wasn’t attacking them but rather just looking to restock.
• 04^th Feb- ISM insurgents targeted and attacked Christians in Miula village in Mueda District.
• 06^TH Feb- there were clashes between the terror organization and the military after they attempted to attack Christians along the N381 road in Namacule village in Muidumbe district.
• 04^th Feb- at least one person was killed when ISM militants conducted an ambush targeting the vehicles of Christians on the N380 road near Mitambo village between Macomia and Pemba, Meluco districts.
• 05^th Feb- five Christians were executed in Chapa village in the Mueda district.
• 04^th Feb- ISM cells attacked Christians in Namulo village in Montepuez where they burned several buildings. Intelligence shows that the militants had been roaming around the area in small cells.
• 01^st Feb- Mozambican troops were ambushed by insurgents on the road that links Makao and Macomia in Cabo Delgado.
• 01^st Feb- at least 7 people were killed and another 7 were seriously injured and several vehicles were razed following an attack by ISM on N380 near the village of 19 de Outubro, just 5 km north of Mitambo.  

THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

• 12^th Feb- 12 people were killed in a nighttime assault on the RN27 in the Irumu area in Ituri.
• 10^th Feb- 4 Christians were killed in an ambush by ISCAP on the RN4 in Ndalya in Ituri province.
• 10^th Feb- ISCAP ambushed a trade convoy on the RN2 between Beni and Kasindi in North Kivu.
• 10^th FEB- 3 people were killed by ISCAP terrorists in an armed assault along the RN4 in Mahala in Ituri province.
• 09^th Feb- ISCAP conducted two attacks on a Ugandan Army patrol between the RN2 and RN4 on the way to Karuhamba, Mwalika region in North-Kivu province.
• 08^th Feb- armed insurgents killed 3 people on the RN4 road in Malibongo in Ituri province.
• 08^th Feb- 12 people were killed in an armed ISCAP assault on the RN4 road in Oicha in the Beni region.
• 1^st Feb- ISCAP ambushed a Christian convoy killing one persona and razing a motorcycle along the RN4 between Komanda and Erengeti in Ituri Province.
• 1^st Feb- 3 people were killed in an armed assault along the RN4 in the Idohu area in Ituri province.

SOMALIA

• 13^th Feb- Islamic State Somalia (ISS) militants attacked a military convoy carrying the electoral team with an IED in Wadi Jeil Southeast of Bosaso in Puntland.
• 11^th Feb- ISS detonated an IED targeting a vehicle carrying a Somali government official in the Karan neighborhood in Mogadishu.

NOTABLES:

DRC

There were civil riots and protests against the EACRF and the MONUSCO peacekeeping troops for what was termed as a lack of pressure against the rebel and terror groups active in the restive eastern region. At last eight protesters were killed and 28 others injured during an assault on the UN Peacekeeping convoy in Goma.

In Ituri province, security continues to deteriorate as ISCAP continues to attack the civilian population, looting and killing the residents, especially in Irumu territory. It appears that the militants continue to exploit the fact that most of the military attention is on Goma fighting the Rwandan-backed rebels. This split attention has provided ISCAP with an opportunity to restock supplies especially by attacking the trade convoys along the main road that connects North Kivu and Ituri provinces.

There was a video circulating on social media of a group of ISCAP militants pledging allegiance to the IS Caliph as well as praising foreign fighters in an undisclosed location in DRC.

The census of voters for the December presidential election in eastern DRC is a very delicate operation in a region infested with armed groups and whose portions of territory are occupied by rebels. ISCAP alongside other rebel groups has been attacking villages a move that analysts project is geared at undermining the electoral process and elections slated for later in December.

Mozambique

In Mozambique, ISM insurgents appear to have broken into three main fighting groups that appear to be moving in small-cell groups of fighters. In the Nangade district, allied Mozambican and SAMIM forces pushed insurgents out of the Nkonga forest and across the Nangade-Pundahar road. Felling the pressure of the military operations against them the insurgents have resulted in alternative means to win over territory by seemingly appealing and assuring the residents they were there to peacefully purchase supplies, a trend that is being observed across the province.

A note left in a settlement near Nairoto in the Montepuez district implored villagers who had fled not to fear the insurgents, and that they were willing to pay for what they had taken for their basic needs. The note also left that stated; Muslims who contacted the mobile number on the leaflet would be paid, but Christians would need to either convert to Islam or submit to pay tax. Elsewhere, they warned villagers against collaboration with security forces, promising a better life if they cooperated with them.

Due to the onslaught by the allied troops, the insurgents tried and failed to cross the Rovuma river into Tanzania and returned to the Nkonga forest according to intelligence. The failure to cross over to new AORs can be partially credited to the recent moves by the militants to make nice with the civilians, and attempts at the establishment of a shadowy government as is the case of the al Shabaab in Somalia.

Somalia

The death of Bilal al-Sudani has caused a major hitch in the financial network of not only ISS but also other provinces including ISM and ISCAP. Intelligence indicates that Al Sudani headed the Islamic State’s Al-Karrar regional office which is in charge of the Sub-Saharan provinces, and their affairs and provides a bridge beyond Africa. The Sudanese has shown his shrewd nature and is believed to have received and disbursed millions from various financial facilitators and various groups.

Islamic State Somalia (ISS) has propped itself as a major player in the coordination and facilitation of the Islamic State’s affairs across much of Africa. This role more than makes up for what the group lacks in tactical threat as compared to other branches such as IS in DRC, Mozambique, and the larger Sahel and Maghreb regions.

ISS suffered another setback after the wife of the leader of Daesh in Somalia, Abdulkadir Mu’min, Fartun Abdirashid Hussein, was sentenced to eight years in military prison., the wife of Abdulqadir Mu’min, was sentenced to eight years in military prison and was in charge of the group’s financial operations through her working relationship with the recently killed Bilal Al-Sudani. She was also charged with housing and offering refuge to members of the terror organization.