The first week of December was marked by the various pledges of Bayah by the various provinces of the caliphate including Somalia, DRC, and Mozambique. The Islamic State announced the death of their leader; Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi in an audio message on 30th November. The groups announced that the Caliph was killed while fighting the enemies of God and offered no further details of his death. Al-Hashimi is the second leader to be killed this year.
Mozambique released 2 pledges and backed their increased robustness with numerous attacks against military positions while DRC and Somalia provinces maintained a low profile with ISCAP especially suffering losses attributed to increased military presence in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.
Incident Report
MOZAMBIQUE
- 12th Dec– ISM militants attacked Mozambican military positions in Nkoe in the Macomia district they seized a huge assortment of weapons from the attack.
- 12th Dec– one soldier was killed after militants attacked Mozambican army barracks in Nova Zambezia in the Macomia district.
- 11th Dec– ISM terrorists attacked a barracks housing SADC and Mozambican troops in Nguida village in Macomia; several people were injured and at least 5 vehicles were damaged in the attack.
- 11th Dec– at least 5 members of a local militia fighting against ISM terrorists were beheaded along the Nairoto- Motepuez road in Cabo Delgado.
- 5th Dec– 1 Mozambican soldier was killed an assortment of weapons was seized by the fighters following an attack on a military barracks in Nguida Village in Macomia.
- 4th Dec– 6 soldiers were killed and 2 vehicles damaged in an ISM attack on Mozambican military barracks in Miangalewa village in Muidumbe district.
- 4th Dec– at least 4 people were killed in an armed assault with machine guns on a police car on the rod to Shitaxi village in Muidumbe district.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)
- 14th Dec– between 30 and 40 militants conducted a cross-border attack in the Ntoroko District of Uganda. The ISCAP militants cross from DRC and attempted a nighttime attack but were thwarted by Uganda troops.
- 13th Dec– at least 10 people were killed in a nighttime assault by ISCAP In Ndalya village in Irumu territory in Ituri province.
- 06th Dec- A motorcyclist was shot dead and three motorcycles burned during a new ambush by ISCAP fighters in the village of Kinyambahore, in the Ruwenzori sector, Beni, in North Kivu.
- 05th Dec- two people were killed by ISCAP fighters in an attack in the locality of Lolwa, located in the Bayako group, in the Babila-Bakwanza chiefdom, in the territory of Mambasa.
- 01st Dec- 1 person was shot dead, and 3 business houses were looted and then burned as well in the village of Kisima, located on the Beni-Kasindi road in North Kivu.
SOMALIA
- 03rd Dec- Islamic State Somalia (ISS) detonated an IED at a gathering of Somali Police in the Karan area in Mogadishu. One police officer was killed and 3 others were wounded.
ANALYSIS AND INSIGHTS
In Mozambique, the ISM has resumed attacks in Macomia and Muidumbe districts with a majority of the attacks against military targets. The most significant incident took place on 6 December, when approximately 100 Mozambican soldiers were forced to withdraw from Nguida, approximately 20 km northwest of Macomia district headquarters, following an assault that left at least three FADM troops dead.
The Naparama militia has been growing in popularity in Cabo Delgado despite controversies such as groping women and illegal checkpoints. Their popularity is especially fuelled by the growing distrust of the police and troops with villages in Macomia raising funds to send young men to Namuno to join them and intelligence indicates that the force is amercing numbers in preparation to attack an ISM stronghold in the mountains near Nguida village in Macomia.
The first week of December was marked by the pledges of ‘Bay’ah’ to the new caliph of the Islamic State, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Quraishi where ISM released two sets of pictures in different locations. The pictures illustrated new recruits that signify the risk that the cells are being revived and strengthened and the new leader may have rejuvenated the group’s resolve and commitment to the agenda of the creation of a caliphate.
Reports of youths being arrested and intercepted traveling from various parts of Mozambique en route to Cabo Delgado. These reports are in line with intelligence that the group has been recruiting more members from both within the country and neighboring countries like Tanzania. The appearance of the robustness of the militancy is especially true seeing as the raids against military positions are on the rise and the insurgency appears to be stockpiling weapons from the military.
Operation Shujaa in DRC has been making gains against ISCAP militants with the joint FARDC-UPDF troops neutralizing at least 30 fighters and dismantling their camp in Beu, an entity located near Boga in the territory of Irumu in Ituri. Among those killed according to military sources were of Arab descent which reiterates the theory of growing numbers of foreign fighters within ISCAP’s ranks.
The presence of the East Africa Community Regional Force (EACRF) which is meant to address the growing violence orchestrated by the M23 rebels has slowed down the attacks by ISCAP too. The increased military presence can be credited for the pressure on the militancy that prompted the cross-border attack on Uganda. The EACRF already has over 900 Kenyan troops with the same number expected from Uganda and at least 750 from South Sudan. The troops are expected to deal with the various rebel groups and restore peace in the resource-rSich region that has been in conflict for decades.
