João Buchili, district administrator of Palma, located in Cabo Delgado, northern province of Mozambique, made a statement indicating that security had been fully restored in the district. Palma has been among the districts most affected by terrorist attacks.
João Buchili stated that the Palma district is protected against terrorist threats. The efforts of the Defense and Security Forces focus on permanently eradicating any traces of terrorism in the area.
During a press conference held in the city of Pemba, capital of Cabo Delgado, on Tuesday, the 5th, the leader stated that local populations have already started to practice agriculture within a radius of 30 kilometers from the district headquarters without the need for any assistance. or protection. of the Defense and Security Forces. This was not the case the previous year, due to insecurity resulting from the attacks that led to the occupation of the village in 2021.
According to the administrator cited by Lusa, individuals are choosing to cultivate their farms (or crops) close to their villages, as well as in more remote areas. Even though the latter is around 25 to 30 kilometers away and has no protection, people still choose to cultivate there due to the existing level of security.
The leader appealed to the population, with a special focus on young people, to reinforce their vigilance and report any questionable activity.
If you encounter any abnormal circumstances, it is important to alert the Mozambican Defense and Security Forces, the Local Force and the Rwandan forces. The speaker highlighted that the reflectors were distributed to young motorcyclists because they are often the ones who transport individuals from one location to another and can provide information about unknown people. The speaker extended the same request to fishermen.
The province of Cabo Delgado has been plagued by violent attacks for almost six years, some of them attributed to the extremist organization known as Islamic State.
In July 2021, due to the ongoing conflict in the region, a military response was initiated. Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) provided support in the effort to liberate districts surrounding gas projects. Despite these efforts, new waves of attacks emerged in the southern areas of the region and in the neighboring province of Nampula.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the conflict resulted in the displacement of one million people. Meanwhile, the conflict recording project, ACLED, recorded approximately 4,000 fatalities.
