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

MOZAMBIQUE

• 27^th Oct- ISM militants attacked Savannon village in the Shior area in Cabo Delgado.
• 26^th Oct- ISM militants attacked Bilibiza village in the Shior area in Cabo Delgado.
• 26^th Oct- two villages in the Nangade district were attacked by jihadists; the armed militants entered and attacked Lecce and Nampido villages.
• 23^rd Oct- 7 people were killed, and multiple houses and vehicles were also burned by militants who attacked Macomia in CD.
• 22^nd Oct- ISM militants attacked Misanga and Kataboa villages in the Shior area in Cabo Delgado.
• 20^th Oct- ISM militants attacked Namanhumbir village in Cabo Delgado.
• 20^th Oct- militants attacked Gemrockd Rubu Mine in the Montepuez region in the Ancuabe district.
• 18^th Oct- one person was killed in an ISM attack in Napti village in the Ancuabe district.
• 18^th Oct- armed terrorists conducted an assault in the Novo Hamlet area in Cabo Delgado.
• 17^th Oct- suspected ISM Militants invaded and attacked three towns in the Ancuabe district. The assault was in Mesa, Ciute, and Nikoaga towns.
• 17^th Oct- Rwandan forces discovered a cache of weapons hidden by militants in the Ibo District of Cabo Delgado.
• 16^th Oct- ISM terrorists attacked Ngalonga village in Nangade district.
• 15^th Oct- militants captured and beheaded a Christian in Nonia village in the Ancuabe district.
• 12^th Oct- ISM terrorists ambushed an army patrol in Litandacua in Macomia and seized weapons from the soldiers.
• 10^th Oct- one person was killed and multiple houses burned to the ground as ISM militants attacked Ntole village in Nangade District.
• 10^th Oct- Namithoko village was attacked and burned to the ground by the militants. The village is located in the Macomia district.
• 09^th Oct- insurgents attacked Namituco in the Chicomo area of Macomia, about 10 km south of Nguida.
• 09^th Oct- at least 5 security force members were killed and over 35 homes were razed to the ground in Mandava village in Muidumbe district.
• 08^th Oct- insurgents shot and killed one person as well as burned and looted the village of Litandacua located south of Messalo River in Macomia. They were then driven out of the village by local forces.
• 08^th Oct- ISM terrorists attacked Nguda village in Macomia with guns and burned at least 13 homes in the village.

D.R. CONGO

• 29^th Oct- militants seized control of the Kiwanja village and Rutshuru Centre which are located on the road that connects Beni to Goma in North Kivu.
• 24^th Oct- ISCAP conducted its fourth bombing in Beni following another bombing in Bashu in Beni.
• 22^nd Oct- ISCAP militants killed a Christian and razed several homes and vehicles in Sumy on the road between Mambasa and Biakato in Ituri.
• 20^th Oct- 7 people were killed and several homes were razed to the ground in Maboya village in North Kivu.
• 18^th Oct- armed fighters ambushed an Army patrol near Erengeti in the Rwenzori sector in the Beni region.
• 14^th Oct- ISCAP militants orchestrated a nighttime assault in Makayanga along the RN4 road in Ituri.
• 09^th Oct- a police officer was attacked and killed by ISCAP militants in Musimba village, Lubero area in North Kivu Province.
• 05^th Oct- at least 11 civilians were killed by ISCAP insurgents in the Banande-Kainama area in, the Beni-Mbau sector in North Kivu.
• 04^th Oct- at least 10 people were killed including an Anglican pastor and at least 20 others missing following attacks by ISCAP militants in Vido village in Beni, North Kivu. The attackers also torched over 25 houses in the attack.
• 03^rd Oct- ISCAP detonated an IED at a movie theatre in the Fusinzira neighborhood in Butembo, the attacks left at least 10 people injured.
• 02^nd Oct- at least 13 people were killed in a nighttime attack by ISCAP in the Kiama area in Ituri province. Multiple homes were also burned to the ground in the attack.
• 02^nd Oct- several houses were razed and a member of the militia loyal to the Congolese troops was killed in an ISCAP attack in Mayo Anu; a town located along the Mambasa-Komanda road in Ituri province.

SOMALIA

• 26^TH Oct- ISS detonated an IED on an explosives expert from the AU forces in Afgooye in the Lower Shabelle region.
• 5^th Oct- ISS blew up a sticky bomb on a Somali police vehicle in Wardhiigley district in Mogadishu.

NOTABLES AND CONCLUSION

Mozambique

In Mozambique, a handwritten letter was circulated on social media; written in Kiswahili, the letter urged the residents not to be afraid while at the same time threatening sympathizers of the government troops. The letter is believed to have been written by an ISM leader identified as Mur H Ben.

Even as the group appears to be moving south, the Messalo river remains a significant haven and connector for groups of insurgents operating across Cabo Delgado. Attacks conducted in Macomia, Meluco, Mueda, and Muidumbe districts in recent months have for the most part been close to the river a clear indicator that there is a significant presence and large camps along the river.

Despite the allied forces discovering and recovering several caches of weapons that have been hidden by the militants, the move doesn’t seem to affect the militancy’s ability to continue with their attacks. In the past several weeks, ISM has been conducting attacks dressed in Mozambican military uniforms a move that has been causing fear as the delicate trust and relationship between the military and civilians is on the verge of collapse a move that will make civilian cooperation even more difficult.

As the insurgency marks five years in Cabo Delgado, a lot of questions have been raised on the effectiveness of the government and allied troops’ intervention in the region seeing as the success to root out the malignant insurgency is lacking. The troops (Rwandan, Mozambican, and SAMIM) are faced with challenges that include; a lack of communication and coordination among all parties, a lack of intelligence gathering and integration as well as overall logistical snags.

In October, ISM cells appear to have become smaller in terms of numbers but that should in no way be viewed as a sign of defeat. Aligning to counterforce deployments, small cells allow freedom of movement and unlikely detections.

Tanzania

The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) launched two military exercises in October on the border with Mozambique as fears mount that insurgent activity may spread from Cabo Delgado into Tanzania’s southern Mtwara region. The exercises come as the killings of two people near Ntambaswala on the Tanzanian side of Unity Bridge were confirmed. The operations have been dubbed Dragon Fly and Exercise Linda Mpaka and run to the end of the month with scanty details on the mandate of the exercise but all motivated by the growing Islamic State threat that faces both Mozambique and Tanzania.

The Tanzanian side has been used as a transit point for militants seeking to join the insurgency from across the East African region. The reports come as cases of missing youths in Zanzibar believed to have been radicalized and traveled to join the fight in various parts of the EA region.

D.R. Congo

In DRC, the first two weeks of October have seen a lull in jihadist activities which has given the residents relief. However, the militancy appears to be exploring alternative attack methods with the use of IEDs being one of them. The militants detonated a bomb in a movie theatre an attack that left at least 10 people injured.

The Kenya Defense Force (KDF) advance team that had been deployed to the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) withdrew and returned home. The withdrawal of the Kenyan troops is the first step in the collapse of the East African Regional Force deployment to DRC to fight ISCAP and other rebel groups. One of the greatest challenges faced by the regional force is funding.

Following the withdrawal of troops, M23 militants resumed hostilities in Rutshuru territory and have been threatening the peace, and thousands of civilians have fled their homes as the rebels have been taking control of most rural localities.

Tensions between DRC and Rwanda continue to rise; Kinshasa has reportedly expelled the Rwanda ambassador after the M-23 group, supported by Rwanda, took over multiple cities in North Kivu which now leaves Goma, the province’s capital completely cut off from the province’s upper half.