Weekly Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Brief for East and Central Africa (Somalia, Mozambique, DR-Congo): Tracking Islamic State Terrorists in Period of 13th May- 21st May 2021

In the past week, the Islamic State Central Africa Province has been exhibiting a down-surge in attacks in both Mozambique and DRC. The week included the group’s Eid celebrations as well as intensified CT operations, especially in DRC.

In DRC the gruesome attacks by ISCAP continue to cement the threat caused by the group and can be viewed as the group’s way of creating a hub and haven for jihadists from across East Africa. The group has been targeting religious leaders who have a pull in the society especially among the youth as they have been interfering with the recruitment and brainwashing of the local youth.

Increasing reports of active child soldiers in both countries have been backed by pictorial and first-hand eyewitness accounts that reiterate that the group has soldiers as young as eight years old. CT apparatus in DRC, Mozambique, and Somalia ought to remain on high alert and explore all the COIN strategies at their disposal including allies as the group’s largest recruitment drive appears to have been activated.

ISCAP Attacks in Mozambique and DRC (13^th May- 18^th May 2021)

Mozambique

• 15^th May- 1 fisherman was killed by ISCAP in Quifula Island, which is located less than 2 km from the village of Pangane, in the Administrative Post of Mucojo, district of Macomia.

DRC

• 12^th May- 21 people killed, 52 kidnapped in attacks on five villages; Makumo, Ngaka, Masana, Matonge, and Sambangi in Babila Babombi chiefdom near Mambasa, Ituri Province.
• 13^th May- 1 soldier killed after aMONUSCO-Congolese patrol was attacked with RPGs and automatic weapons by ISCAP.
• 13^th May- the group released photos of the group’s Eid ul Fitr celebrations
• 13^th May- ISCAP attacked a Congolese military barrack in Ngaka, Beni, and seized weapons and ammunition.
• 18^th May- Sheikh Jamali Moussa was assassinated by suspected by ISCAP terrorists in Mavivi, Beni.

INSIGHTS AND ANALYSIS

Cabo Delgado

France has extended aid to Mozambique as announced by President Filipe Nyusi who did not give the specifics of the kind of help but it will be welcome aid in fighting the insurgency in CD. Support can be in form of military assistance, training, or exchange of information, however, these agreements must be legally established when an agreement is ironed out and signed by the two nations.

Tanzania continues to come under fire for refusing the admittance of Mozambican refugees as well as going as far as returning any refugees that have crossed the border. The worrying trend comes at a time where intelligence indicates that a sizeable number of the members of ISCAP are from Tanzania. Additionally, in most villages in Cabo Delgado, there is a growing shortage of food and other basic needs mainly attributed to the ceaseless exodus of residents and merchants as well as the consistent rummaging by the terrorist along the ocean.

ISCAP has been recruiting from other provinces according to reports, Niassa province remains one of the recruitment sites of choice for terrorist groups where impoverished youth are recruited with promise for employment in other parts of Mozambique only to join the terror group in Cabo Delgado. Niassa province has had several but isolated incidents of terror threats including the presence of key recruiters for ISCAP.

Reports from rescued hostages indicated that the foot soldiers have received an increased stipend from their attacks. Reportedly, any combatant who returned unharmed received the prize of 120 thousand Meticais approximately $2000, regardless of age. For combatants who contracted deep wounds in the middle of combat, they received 240 thousand Meticais, therefore, twice as much.

Additionally, the number of children soldiers within the ranks of ISCAP in Cabo Delgado is increasing with the age going as low as 11 years who have been kidnapped over the years since the insurgency broke. The witnesses revealed that the children are instructed to sleep/rest during the day and circulate at night, to pray, memorize the Koran, to use slang language and probably military exercises, away from the eye of ordinary hostages.

North Kivu and Ituri

An Imam from Mavivi Beni identified as Sheikh Jamali Moussa was assassinated as he came from evening prayers by an unidentified armed man believed to be a member of ISCAP. Like the first, he was influential and often he alerted the media and the authorities to the movement and abuses of the ISCAP in the region. Intelligence has revealed that both Imams received death threats from ISCAP for preaching against radicalization and as such it appears the group is taking out leaders in the community that have become obstacles to their recruitment efforts.

A joint operation between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to defeat Islamist rebels is underway. While the details haven’t been released, intelligence indicates that the troops will be deployed to Kasindi, Beni, and Butembo where ISCAP activities have been on the spike and threatening to cross over to Uganda.

Additionally, the MONUSCO force carried out airstrikes last week that targeted positions of ADF fighters in the Ruwenzori sector in Beni territory. The aerial intervention by the peacekeepers is a welcome assistance for the Congolese troops to chase and eliminate the ISCAP elements. This month, troops of the MONUSCO intervention brigade have stepped up patrols and continue to provide support to the Congolese army to protect the civilian population

Several soldiers of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) were arrested in Beni in North Kivu Province after intelligence implicated them in planned assassinations of fellow soldiers. The arrested soldiers had been aiding and colluding with the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) in the region a group that has been on a violent campaign.

CONCLUSION

• The growing corruption within the Congolese military has been undermining the CT operations geared at quashing the growing group in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. The arrests of the soldiers only upheave a deeply rooted problem that can be credited to the unrest and violence in North Kivu that has spanned decades.
• The assassinations of Imams in Beni is a clear indicator that ISCAP has been facing hurdles in their recruitment for militants especially in Beni despite having foreign fighters and as such anti-radical Islamic leaders will interfere with the establishment of a territory governed by radical Islam laws.
• The increased involvement of MONUSCO, impending deployment of Ugandan Troops, and the state of siege all point to the growing threat by the group which until recently was label a guerilla rebel group.
• Thus, the threat by ISCAP In DRC is much larger and pictures posted by ISIS-Central for Eid ul Fitr evidence that while the group may not be as organized or lethal as ISWAP or Boko Haram, the group is formidable and growing.
• The group has extended its recruitment grounds into South Kivu after 11 young people were falsely lured to join ISCAP with the promise of better jobs in Beni and were intercepted by the troops in Eringeti.
• In Mozambique, ISCAP has been exploiting the ocean route to conduct their attacks which have, in turn, exposed Mozambique’s military’s vulnerability especially in terms of maritime security.
• The Southern Africa Bloc has maintained that Mozambique has not explicitly asked for assistance from the regional neighbors and has instead been seeking out help from international allies like the US, Portugal, Russia, and France.
• The threat of the violence spilling over to other provinces is imminent and should be accorded swift response to avoid the expansion of the group especially seeing as recruiters have been revealed to be recruiting from outside Cab Delgado.