Array
As Islamic Jihadis continue to wreak havoc in Mozambique, a recent surge of violence and consequent civilian flight has left more than 70 children unaccounted for.
Authorities told the BBC about the missing children on Tuesday. As thousands of people fled from Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, 72 children were separated from their families, raising fears that the kids could have been kidnapped by Islamic State (IS) affiliated militants. As of 2022, Cabo Delgado’s population was 40% Christian.
Mozambique’s military and regional troops have been fighting Muslim insurgents in the region since 2017, BBC explained. There has been a recent increase in the jihadi violence, however, with charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) estimating that 80,000 people have been displaced there just since January. The BBC reported:
The children were among those who fled over the last few weeks from Cabo Delgado’s Chiùre district to Nampula province.
