Mozambique army ran out of ammunition to fight new ISIS
The news is a total global surprise for the world with a new ISIS or Islamic State group appearing in Mozambique, Africa.
Another surprise is that the Mozambican army ran out of ammunition to push back the group.
An Islamic militant group seized a key port in gas-rich northern Mozambique.
The attack took place on Wednesday and after two days of fighting the army lost the fight.
Reports now say it is the forth assault against the port but observers believe the Islamists will not hold the port for long.
They say the aim of the attack is to make the world know they are there.
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES
According to Mozambican news, at least 1000 civilians were killed in attacks led by the Islamic group.
They started their campaigns in 2017. But it is the low morale and lack of resources from the army that helped them gain territory.
The observers say the attack on the port revealed the biggest concentration of insurgents in that area.
There is still confusion whether the group is linked to ISIS, which is now on the run in the Middle East.
The port in Cabo Delgado province serves as a key hub for a $23 billion natural gas project. The project is developed by the French energy company Total.
Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jamâ
Questions are whether the numerous attack will now draw the French army to enter the conflict.
If that happens, it will be France’s new frontier against Islamic groups.
The group in Mozambique is called the Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jamâ. But they are not affiliated to any other Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jamâ religious groups around the globe.
The province is prominently Muslim and is one of the poorest in the region. The presence of Total may have aggravated the conflict.
Mozambique is to receive $14.9 billion in debt financing from Total, one of the largest single investment projects on the continent.
Reports say the region has high rates of illiteracy.
The group is linked to ISIS because in 2019, the Islamic State said the local militants were part of its Africa franchise.