Maputo, 13 April (AIM) – A group of Islamic terrorists invaded the village of Nkoe, Macomia district, in the province of Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, on Friday, forcing residents to flee.

According to sources cited by the independent newspaper “Carta de Moçambique”, the attack occurred at around 3 pm. However, no fatalities were recorded since “the village was empty. The population had already abandoned the village, thanks to the warnings received moments before”.

The sources added that the terrorists looted almost all of the people’s belongings.

According to a report by the independent conflict recording project ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project), terrorist activity intensified last week in some villages in the districts of Macomia (Litandacua) and Muidumbe (Miangaleua).

The organization explained that for almost two weeks there were no terrorist movements in Macomia. ACLED also reported that, on March 29, three alleged members of the Islamic State surrendered to Rwandan forces stationed at the Mucojo Administrative Post.
(AIM)
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Maputo, 13 Apr (AIM) – Non-resident doctors at the Nampula Central Hospital (HCN) decided to postpone the strike in protest against delays in paying their salaries, following ongoing dialogue with health authorities.

The strike was expected to begin this week. In a letter published on social media, the doctors also demanded the payment of debts for overtime worked in 2023 and 2024. It is believed that the strike would also affect services provided outside normal working hours in the public administration.

According to Suleimane Isidoro, director of HCN’s Emergency Service, following the dialogue, the doctors decided to postpone the strike for 30 days while administrative procedures to resolve the issues raised are ongoing.

“The hospital received a communication from a group of doctors who work at this hospital, informing them that since January of this year and part of last year they have not received payment for overtime, which is the work carried out in the emergency room. The hospital met with the doctors and informed them of the recommendations it received from the meeting it had with the Secretary of State last year,” he said.

He explained that each concern raised by doctors is being evaluated, which is why doctors “understood and decided to make a truce of at least 30 days while awaiting a solution to the problem”.
(AIM)
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Maputo, 13 Apr (AIM) – The Mozambican government believes that the digitalization of the licensing and export system for forestry products is crucial to reducing timber smuggling, as it strengthens supervision and increases transparency in the sector.

According to the National Director of Forests, Imede Falume, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the seminar presenting the “Zero Project” of the Strategic Plan 2026-2035 of the Federation of Forestry Operators of the country (FEDEMOMA), the introduction of digital systems represents a significant advance in the management of the sector, reducing opportunities for fraud and improving control of operations.

“We have introduced improvements in management. We are specifically talking about the digital license control system. The scope for timber smuggling using false documents is greatly reduced,” he stated.

He further explained that FEDEMOMA is working to train operators in the use of georeferencing tools, with a view to improving traceability.

In turn, Jorge Chacate from FEDEMOMA, called for coordinated action between the State and operators to combat illegal logging. “Protecting those who work in the forests is a political duty. There are reports of leased licenses and operators using coal licenses for illegal logging in concessions and conservation areas,” he stated.

According to Chacate, irregularities also persist in the use of timber transit licenses and “this system has the potential to eliminate several irregularities. The forest information system was designed to reduce human intervention and eliminate irregular practices.”

He stated that wood exports fell from 505,000 cubic meters in 2015 to approximately 64,000 in recent years.
(AIM)
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Maputo, 12 April (AIM) – Mozambican President Daniel Chapo called on Saturday for “investment in specific scientific knowledge” to make the country’s natural resources profitable.

Speaking at the close of a three-day meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Frelimo Party, in his capacity as President of Frelimo, Chapo said that the exploration and monetization of these resources “requires scientific knowledge in which we must invest, in a serious and strategic way”.

Chapo said Mozambique should learn from other countries that managed to industrialize despite having few natural resources. “We must invest more in technical and professional education for productive knowledge in strategic areas for development,” he added. “Only in this way will Mozambique be able to take a strategic leap in industrial development, without going through all the stages that developed countries have gone through.”

Chapo told the Central Committee that it was time to act “strategically and resolutely” in the face of the demographic explosion facing the country. The increase in population has resulted in an increase in demand for basic services.

The Central Committee meeting, he said, highlighted the “importance and urgency of far-reaching reforms in building an economic development model that will allow the country to achieve the desired economic independence”.

The debates at the meeting highlighted the use of Mozambique’s critical mineral resources “to create and distribute wealth for the prosperity and happiness of the Mozambican people. The centrality of the economic issue in the debates testifies to the clarity of the vision we have defined for the current cycle of governance, the vision of renewing Mozambique and creating the foundations for effective economic independence”.

At the opening of the meeting, Chapo stressed that security “is not negotiable”. It was a priority of his governance, with the objectives of defending national independence and sovereignty, guaranteeing the integrity of Mozambican territory and strengthening mechanisms for preventing and combating all types of crimes.

Chapo noted that Islamic terrorists operating in the northern province of Cabo Delgado “resort to kidnapping for ransom, psychological intimidation of the public, and infiltration of vulnerable communities as ways of securing logistical and financial support for their operations.”

He said the government has strengthened the operational capacity of the defense and security forces to deal with the situation. “We are making progress in the affected areas, including the return of displaced people to their areas of origin,” he declared.

He also highlighted that illegal mining is a national security problem, given its harmful impacts on the economy and the environment.

“So we began a mining restructuring program, starting in the province of Manica, where the environmental catastrophe has reached unsustainable proportions,” said Chapo. This restructuring included the creation of a “special operational theater in Manica” involving the relevant economic and environmental sectors, the defense forces and the Tax Authority.
(AIM)
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