Mid-Week Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Brief for East and Central Africa (Somalia, Mozambique, DR-Congo)

Tracking Islamic State Terrorists in Period of 24th July – 28th July 2020

The Islamic State provinces in Central and East Africa have seemingly exhibited a lull in attacks and activities in the recent few weeks only conducting a few attacks in the areas they operate in. In Mozambique where ISCAP has been wreaking havoc in the past months, but in the past few weeks there has been an evident down surge in activities that can be credited partially to the CT campaign by government forces and allied paramilitary forces. In DRC, ISCAP has continued its violent campaigns in the restive Beni territory alongside other armed groups like CODECO. ADF which has continued to assert itself in the Beni territory continues to conduct attacks with crude weapons like machetes. However, in recent weeks the group has stepped up its attacks to indiscriminate killings of civilians including women and children. In DRC and Mozambique, ISCAP has exhibited a heightened capability to conduct attacks, run out civilians from their homes, and drive out the security forces. Additionally, based on BDA, the groups have recruits, better weapons, and complex battle plans that have been key in inflicting maximum damage to the areas they attack. On the other hand, in Somalia, the group is consistently targeting the police and other security forces in the capital, Mogadishu, and seemingly deviating from assassinations to include grenades and other improvised explosive devices.

ISCAP Attacks in Mozambique and DRC (24th July- 27th July)

Mozambique

• 25^th July- two people were killed by ISCAP insurgents in the village of Novo Cabo Delgado in Macomia district.
• 26^th July- armed militants attacked the village of Novo Kabo in Litimanda District where they killed 4 villagers and burned down houses in the village.

The Democratic Republic of Congo

• 24^th July- ADF terrorists attacked a home killing 3 people; (man, his wife, and children) in Kikuka village in the Banande-Kainama group in the Beni territory. The victims were killed with crude weapons as is the MO of ADF.

Somalia

• 24^th July- ISS militants hauled grenades at a police checkpoint in Bakara Market in Mogadishu. The attack left 4 policemen dead and several others injured.

The midweek statistics indicate that while all the groups in Mozambique, DRC, and Somalia appear to be going slow in their attacks as compared to June, the groups still have the capacity to fight off forces deployed in their regions. In Mozambique, the group appears to have been outmatched by the Mozambican and allied paramilitary forces in the COIN measures that have successfully reduced the group’s capability to conduct large-scale attacks. IN DRC, forces and the UN mission continues to operate in North Kivu to deter the insurgency as well as other active armed groups. In Somalia, especially ion Puntland where ISS is headquartered, there have been active CT campaigns by the Puntland forces with aerial bombardments from the US Africa command. (AFRICOM)