Mozambique's Defense and Security Forces (FDS) rejected a possible expansion of terrorism to the northern province of Niassa, after an attack that caused at least one death and destroyed a tourist camp.
© Lusa
19/09/2026
by
Lusa
“ Nthis moment the most important is to ensure the protection of the populations, preserve the presence of the state and continue operations to locate and neutralize the groups responsible for this type of actions, without naturally meaning at this moment an expansion of terrorism to Niassa province ", said the spokesman of the Mozambique Defense Armed Forces (FADM), Omar Saranga, in statements to journalists.
The responsible, quoted today by the media, spoke in the context of the celebrations of the 62nd anniversary of the FADM, a date that also marks the beginning of the armed struggle in the country against the colonial regime, on September 25, 1964.
On September 9 the Mozambican authorities strengthened security in the Coutada de Marangira, in the Niassa Special Reserve, north of the country, after the attack on September 4 against the tourist camp, associated with the Portuguese-Mozambican football coach Carlos Queiroz, which caused at least one death, the displacement of 2,700 people and the abduction of 11 people, as well as the destruction of tourist infrastructure.
Mozambican authorities pointed out before the attackers would have left the neighboring province of Cabo Delgado, rich in gas and epicenter of the armed insurgency that has affected the north of the country since 2017.
Still at the launch of the celebrations of the 62th anniversary of the FADM, the Defense Minister praised the efforts of the police forces in the continuing fight against terrorism, calling for more investments, especially in the use of technology.
“ We live in times of complex challenges, including terrorism, organized crime, hybrid threats, weather, pandemics and others that require the constant readiness and modernization of our armed forces. We recognize that technological modernization, continuing training, cooperation with partners are instruments that strengthen responsiveness,” said Christopher Chume.
The province of Cabo Delgado has been facing an armed insurgency since 2017 that has already caused more than 6,600 deaths and more than 1,2 million displaced persons, and has been registered since 2025 sporadic incursions in the neighboring provinces of Niassa and Nampula.
Data recently released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicate that armed violence in Cabo Delgado caused 1,401 displaced persons in August and that conflict incidents increased by 10% in the first half of this year compared to the homologous period.