Monthly Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Brief for East and Central Africa (Somalia, Tanzania, Mozambique, DR-Congo): Tracking Islamic State Terrorists in November 2020

In November, Islamic State’s two provinces in Somalia and Central Africa have continually conducted attacks against civilian and security targets. While the attacks still follow the same MO that each group has carved out in the four countries; Tanzania, Somalia, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the groups appear to be copying from each other with the shootings, beheadings, and looting being reoccurring.

In Mozambique, ISCAP has retaken temporary occupation of districts and conducting retaliatory attacks on residents and local militias in the Restive Cabo Delgado province. The group still prefers beheading as an homage to ancient Islam practices as well as looting to furnish its ever-growing membership with supplies. Medical supplies have become a coveted commodity by the group as they continue to suffer grave injuries from CT efforts by Mozambican military and paramilitary groups. the group continues to use intimidation tactics that have led to the desertion of most villages in Muidumbe district as well as triggering mass relocation of refugees from Mueda towards Montepuez district.

In DRC, ADF insurgents continue to launch attacks on the Christian population as well as the military who they have dubbed interventionists. The insurgents attack villages killing residents with knives and guns and often engage the troops deployed in the North Kivu Province to curb the growing threat of the ISIS-affiliated militants. Unlike in Mozambique where the attacks appear to be indiscriminate in the Beni region the militants attack the majority Christian populace. The group appears to be amercing weapons and ammunition evidenced by repeated attacks on the military. Reports of more sophisticated weapons such as RPGs and IEDs especially in farms and to ambush the military are observable in November. The group in DRC continues to expand and increase its operation radius by establishing more camps and conducting violent massacres.

ISCAP Attacks in Mozambique and DRC (1^st November – 30^th November)

DRC

• 01^st November- 2 people killed, 1 wounded on the Mbau-Kamango road axis in Beni-Mbau.
• 03^rd November- 2 people burned alive by ISCAP in Maangali, Beni-Mbau
• 04^th November- 2 people shot dead in their fields in Lumanza village in the Rwenzori sector.
• 04^th November- 2 people hacked to death with machetes in Loselose, Rwenzori sector.
• 05^th November- 1 woman killed in her field in Tchotchoro village, Rwenzori sector
• 05^th November- 4 bodies discovered in Lumanza village in Rwenzori sector believed to have been killed by ISCAP
• 07^th November- 7 civilians and 1 soldier killed in Kisima, Rwenzori sector and at least 15 houses razed to the ground.
• 07^th November- 6 people killed in Matadi village, Beni-Mbau, several others kidnapped, houses looted for food, and other valuables.
• 09^th November- 3 soldiers killed weapons and ammo seized by militants in Kisima, Rwenzori
• 09^th November- 5 people killed, livestock stolen in Masekunde, Ituri province
• 09^th November- 5 people killed, livestock stolen, supplies looted in Mbujimai village, Beni-Mbau
• 10^th November- 7 killed in Sambako village, Mambase territory on the border between Beni and Ituri provinces
• 14^th November- 1 person shot dead along Eringeti- Kainama road in Beni-Mbau sector.
• 14^th November- 6 people killed and at least 10 kidnapped in their homes in Bandu village in Mambasa, Ituri province. The chief and some members of his family were among the dead.
• 14^th November- 6 people killed in their homes in Mbao village, Batangi Mbau
• 16^th November- 4 soldiers were injured as they attacked ISCAP terrorists in Kokola, Eringeti in Beni-Mbau.
• 17^th November- 30 people were killed by ISCAP and their bodies were recovered by FARDC soldiers in Kanyabuhiri in Beni.
• 17^th November- 7 civilians were killed in Baeti in Beni-Mbau, the victims were hacked with machetes, several people kidnapped, goats were stolen, and at least 125 houses burned to the ground.  
• 17^th November- 6 people killed in Kokola, Eringeti in Beni-Mbau
• 19^th November- ISCAP attempt to cross was thwarted by the military in Opira village in Beni- Mbau.
• 19^th November- 3 people were kidnapped and 1 seriously injured in Mulanga village in Irumu territory in Ituri province where the residents live in fear due to an increased ISCAP presence and recurring incursions.
• 21^st November- 11 Congolese soldiers killed after being lured towards IEDs in Kokola, Beni their weapons and ammo seized by ISCAP.
• 25^th November– 2 Congolese soldiers killed and two others injured in Kyavikere locality in Rwenzori sector, North Kivu province.
• 28^th November- 5 soldiers killed several others wounded after a military truck was struck by a Rocket launched grenade near Kamango, Beni.
• 29^th November- several soldiers injured in Kamango, Beni during an ambush bi ISCAP where weapons and ammo seized from the soldiers.

Mozambique

• 1^st November- ISCAP announced the temporary occupation of Namacande which is the district capital for Muidumbe.
• 1^st November- 20 people killed among them 15 teenagers and 5of their councilors were beheaded in 24 de Marco village, Muidumbe during annual initiation rites ceremonies.
• 1^st November- ISCAP occupied Muidumbe district in a series of attacks on the villages in the strategic district.
•   2^nd November- 5 civilians were kidnaped and several houses burned to the ground in Pundanhar, Palma by ISCAP just a day after the militants collided with the military
• 3^rd November– at least 24 youth and 6 adults beheaded in the vicinity of Muatide, Muidumbe district after which the bodies were gathered and paraded at a local football field.
• 4^th November- ISCAP attacked, looted for food and supplies, and burned down homes in Nampanha, Muidumbe district
• 5^th November- 2 people decapitated and 6 women kidnaped and almost an entire village burned to the ground in Nanjaba, Macomia district.
• 6^th November- 3 people killed in Rice production center in Napala, Macomia district. militants burned down homes.
• 09^th November- ISCAP attempted to conduct prison breaks in Mieze, Metuge district as well as in Macomia and Mocimboa da Praia.
• 11^th November- 2 people beheaded and burned as jihadists occupied Mandela, Matambalale, and Miteda villages in Muidumbe where they have been taking strategic control over Muidumbe as was done in MDP.
• 11^th November- ISCAP militants occupied Miteda that is located on the N381 which is the same road that Mueda where the military has a base and Mitabalale.
• 16^th November- security forces reported that Namacande which the capital for Muidumbe was free of insurgents and that there was a heavy military presence in the town.
• 23^rd November- at least 1000 Mozambican soldiers temporarily took over control of swaths of Muidumbe district.
• 23^rd November- 3 people killed and 2 abducted in an ISCAP attack in Quifuque Island in Palma District. intelligence indicates that the insurgents were wearing military uniforms.
• 26^th November- insurgents reenter Muidumbe and appear to have the target of recapturing the district despite heavy military, police, and DAG paramilitary group’s presence.
• 28^th November- clashes between troops and insurgents occurred in Namacande several were killed and injured on both sides.
• 29^th November- at least 18 soldiers were killed in clashes between troops and insurgents in Ntushi, Muidumbe and troops withdrew to Mueda
• 29^th November- at least 25 soldiers killed and 15 others injured in an ambush by ISCAP in Matambalale village in Muidumbe district. among those killed were to senior military officials; a colonel and a major.

ANALYSIS AND INSIGHTS

ISIS has not only provided training, funding, and theological guidance to ISIS provinces in sub-Saharan Africa, it has also metamorphosed and reorganized ISCAP and ISS. The ISIS threat is not an individual nation threat as it is documented how terror organizations amerce power and capabilities to conduct cross-border attacks as is the case of ISCAP in Tanzania and Mozambique. Consistent military support and operations are key to stymie ISCAP both in DRC and Mozambique this is especially because national armies appear not fully committed or poised to eliminate them, despite that the militants may still be numerically few enough to be quashed. While military solutions are the most used methods local players and authorities should explore other socio-economic and political solutions to radicalization to ensure that military action does not further isolate local communities and inspire radicalization and sprouting of new cells in the restive regions of the respective countries.

MOZAMBIQUE

In Mozambique, ISCAP continues to expand and present itself as a formidable terror organization that is capable of conducting attacks across two countries simultaneously and with a capability that is still elusive to CT actors in Cabo Delgado. In November, the group appears to have both operational and strategic capabilities that elude the Mozambican military DAG paramilitary which has been exhibited in the nature of the group’s attacks on Muidumbe district. ISCAP’s agenda against Muidumbe is to seize and occupy Muidumbe and as a result cut off Mueda, Nangande, and Palma Districts from the rest of the country and Province. The move is especially strategic seeing as the rainy season is imminent and controlling Muidumbe will give them a combat advantage over the military who have been reinforced with better military equipment such as 6 armored personnel vehicles, 2 choppers, and at least a thousand troops.

As an Islamic outfit, in Muidumbe the group demonstrated macabre massacres of youths undergoing rites of passage rituals in a vendetta-like attack that showed harsher treatment as the religious and ethnic composition of most of the residents of Muidumbe is majorly Christian. It is apparent that ISCAP has morphed into a great threat in East and Central Africa and is operating with the ISIS-Central playbook which includes making huge international headlines publicizing their activities. In the past month, the group has managed to garner international attention by conducting cross-border attacks in Tanzania as well as a continued violent campaign in Cabo Delgado. This triggered the signing of an MoU between Mozambique and Tanzania that will allow collaboration and especially joint operations against ISCAP.

Tanzania’s police said that they had arrested an unspecified number of people suspected of planning to join Islamist militants in neighboring Mozambique. The Islamist insurgency raging in northern Mozambique spilled over the border for the first time in October and carried out attacks on villages in southern Tanzania. The arrested individuals said that they are from as far as Kigoma and Mwanza and join another batch of arrested locals in the border regions who were collaborators in the October attacks.

 Persistent corruption in the Mozambican military has become widespread with accusations level against them hindering them from taking point in the recovery of Muidumbe despite having a major military base in Mueda. This has led to intelligence gaps that have led to the ambush ant attack on the military as well as growing tensions between the troops and government-back militias in the region.

The government response against ISCAP in Cabo Delgado in November has taken a multi-faceted approach that involved:

• The use of local militias especially in Muidumbe to fight the insurgents in order to have a geographical advantage against the violent extremist.
• The deployment of over a thousand troops in the villages of Muidumbe to fight off the militants.
• The increased collaboration between DAG paramilitary group and the police helped clear villages off the insurgents.
• Economic empowerment of Metuge district fishing community where at least 200 fishermen were given fishing equipment to ensure that the food distribution and availability in the province improves.
• President Nyusi sought out US President-elect Joe Biden, SADC, Tanzania, and Malawi to offer ‘any sought’ of help to help quash the growing militancy.
• The government has raised the 2021 budget to $129 million from $75 million in 2020 to support the increasing number of refugees in the various districts of Cabo Delgado.
• Joint efforts’ MoU was signed between Mozambique and Tanzania to enable the fortification of the Rovuma river border areas a move that would ensure that terrorists and especially recruits from Tanzania do not cross into Mozambique to reinforce and or train with the terror outfit.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

In DRC, the militants appear to have stepped up their attacks and targets with the recent month’s attacks recording the killing of a local chief, military contingents, and increased use of IEDs and other sophisticated weapons. While the UN Mission has been stepping up attacks, they still face the challenge of local collaboration the mission hopes to dismantle ISCAP encampments in Mabendu, Masesele, and Mabatundu from where the insurgents have been conducting the attacks.

In DRC, fear among the residents of Irumu territory in Ituri province is at an all-time high as residents lament the growing number of ADF terrorists active in the villages. Recurring incursions especially in Banyali-Tchabi chiefdom has prevented residents from accessing their fields, looting of property including livestock and valuables. The absence of the military and peacekeepers offers suitable and exploitable conditions for the group to establish camps and conduct attacks. Additionally, other suspicious movements of ISCAP Jihadists have been reported in the Semuliki River valley for some time.

ISCAP in Beni, especially in the last week of November attacked military targets seizing weapons and ammo as spoils with the increased use of IEDs in their attacks both against civilians in their fields and on military targets is a clear indicator that the group has been receiving recruits and trainers.

Government and UN Mission efforts to curb ISCAP’s expansion and the upsurge in attacks:

• Military intelligence in Beni has revealed that their fighter planes will crisscross the city and the territory of Beni in North Kivu to conduct patrols against ADF combatants as of November 26^th.
• MONUSCO deployed its drones and additional night patrols to track Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) in North Kivu’s Kisima region.
• Increased military deployment has been observed to ensure that ISCAP is contained on one side and does not cross over to other areas.
• Military and police intervention is set to tell ISCAP and other local gangs and militias to ensure that the crime levels fall. The situation has been further accelerated by the periodic prison breaks that have injected criminals in Beni.

Thus, it is evident from ISCAP’s November activities in DRC and Mozambique that the group is steadily becoming an international and a very strategic province of ISIS and has been expanding and receiving reinforcement that has led to certain changes in the operations in the group. The group is seeking international recognition evidenced by a myriad of activities including the beheading and direct military attacks in Mozambique as well as the attacks on the military with sophisticated weapons like RPGs, seizures of weapons, and the use of explosive Devices in DRC.