ISIS-Mozambique (IS-M) terrorists using child soldiers is the sort of thing we’ve come to expect from such conflicts.
Meanwhile, IS-M are on the offensive. Zitmar news from Mozambique reports that ‘At least 10 Mozambican soldiers were killed on Tuesday in an attack by Islamic State-backed insurgents on a military outpost near the village of Quinto Congresso in the Macomia district of Cabo Delgado province.‘ See: https://www.zitamar.com/islamic-state-claims-deadly-attack-on-mozambican-army-base-in-macomia/?ref=zitamar-daily-briefing-newsletter (A paid subscription is required.)
This is the second attack on Mozambican military outposts in less than a month. IS-M is stepping up their game.
I suspect the Islamist militants’ offensive is not only a strategic and ideological maneuver, but it is also out of necessity because they need supplies. This topic is relevant to a posting I made the other day, ‘Not All Insurgencies, Guerrillas and Terrorists Require Outside Support to Survive and Continue‘. Also, read the the Human Rights Watch report below.
–RdM
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Mozambique: Child Soldiers Used in Raid on Northern Town
Islamist Armed Group Deploys Boys as Young as 13 in Attack on Macomia
(Johannesburg) – An armed group linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) in northern Mozambique used boys as young as 13 to raid and loot the town of Macomia, in Cabo Delgado province, on May 10, 2024, Human Rights Watch said today. It is unclear if the children also engaged in fighting against government armed forces. The recruitment and use of children under age 15 as child soldiers is a war crime.
The armed group, known locally as Al-Shabab, attacked Macomia to loot shops and warehouses before targeting government forces’ positions in the town, triggering heavy fighting. Several witnesses, including relatives of the boys, told Human Rights Watch that among the Al-Shabab fighters who took part in the raid were dozens of boys carrying ammunition belts and AK-style assault rifles. Two people from the same family said they recognized their 13-year-old nephew among the children.
“The armed group Al-Shabab’s use of children as soldiers is cruel, unlawful, and only adds to the horrors of Cabo Delgado’s conflict,” said Zenaida Machado, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Al-Shabab should immediately release all children in their ranks and stop any further recruitment.”
To read more, see: https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/05/15/mozambique-child-soldiers-used-raid-northern-town