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Terrifying tales from survivors of ISIS’s attack on Palma, northern Mozambique, they’re getting to know each other right now.
A boat carrying 1,200 people, which managed to escape the deadly attack by insurgents linked to the jihadist group in the north of this country of Africa, arrived at the port of Pemba, 2,500 kilometers from the fighting, on a ferry chartered by the French oil company Total.
Some cried on arrival, after passing days hidden in the bush, after fleeing the city of 75,000 inhabitants, attacked for 8 days.
They were looking for relatives in the port, which was full of people waiting for them and looking for them or questioning their acquaintances, photos in hand, about their families.
Many had lost their parents, children, husbands and brothers on the run.
Displaced people from the city of Palma, Mozambique, settle in a stadium converted into a refuge in Pemba, this Friday. Photo: AFP
Aid workers were at the port to feed those disembarking from the ferry. They hadn’t eaten in the bush for days.
Police and soldiers were checking crowds of people, delighted to see relatives rescued, in the attack that began last week in Palma o desperate to hear from their missing loved ones or from home.
The ferry, organized by the energy company Total in coordination with the Mozambican government and the UN, docked around 8 a.m. local time in Pemba.
The French company, which has a gas project on the Afungi peninsula near Palma, said in a statement that there were nearly 1,200 passengers on board, mostly women and children.
A humanitarian official said the government was controlling people arriving in Pemba to prevent armed groups from infiltrating the town, 250 kilometers from the attack.
Testimonies of terror
The survivors had managed to flee Palma when jihadist militants entered the city last Wednesday from three fronts. They attacked military installations, the police, banks, hotels. They bombed the city with mortars, RPG and well equipped.
Very well organized, with maps and lists, They searched for people from house to house and beheaded them. They looked well trained and wore black uniforms. Twelve South African militiamen are believed to be among their ranks.
The streets of Palma and the beach are covered with corpses, most of them beheaded, and include children, according to witnesses who managed to escape.
Displaced children and adults from Palma, Mozambique, arrived in Pemba on Friday, fleeing the horror. Photo: EFE
There is hundreds of missing and an estimated 2,000 civilians and soldiers died in the attack. Today, the Isis controls half of the city.
But Western special forces have arrived in the region to support the Mozambican military and South African mercenaries, hired by the Mozambican government in the region, who have been reinforced in the port.
Many people are said to have dispersed in the bush surrounding Palma and in the plantations near the beach, or have tried to escape by boat, aid workers say.
Mariamo Tagir, who arrived on the ferry, told Reuters TV she spent seven days in the bush, crying every day. “I don’t know where my son is. It’s very painful, “he said.” The situation is really bad, a lot of dead “, he described.
Attack on foreign energy companies
Islamist insurgents have been increasingly active in the surrounding province of Cabo Delgado province since 2017. It is nearly 3,000 kilometers from Maputo, the capital, in a predominantly Muslim area.
Although it is not clear if they have a unified goal or what they are fighting for. But they oppose the presence of multinational companies, in an area rich in gas and mines, where the French and Americans have settled.
The district where Palma is located is adjacent to natural gas projects worth $ 60 billion. About 110,000 people live there, according to United Nations estimates. More than 40,000 people have sought refuge in the area, after fleeing attacks elsewhere in Cabo Delgado province.
The Mozambican government has confirmed dozens of deaths in Palma, including those of at least seven foreigners. It was when militants ambushed vehicles trying to escape from the Amarula Hotel. A South African has been confirmed dead. Between 60 and 100 foreigners are missing.
The city of Palma, Mozambique, has been under siege by jihadists for more than a week. Photo: AFP
British dead
British national Philip Mawer, missing since the attack, “probably also died in the incident,” said his employer, RA International. In a statement, on behalf of his family, he said a body had been found, which matched his description, but was not formally identified. “The family is devastated by the loss,” the statement read.
Philip Mawer’s family said Thursday that it looked like he had died trying to escape the murderous assault on the city de Palma last week.
Mawer’s family described him as “a dear son, brother, uncle and friend”.
RA International, the main provider of remote site services, has confirmed that seven staff, including Mawer, are still missing following the March 24 attack in Palma.
Mawer’s family statement said: “The nature of his chosen job was to be in the most dangerous corners of the world. Philip’s career had already taken him to Somalia, Sierra Leone, Algeria, Afghanistan and Yemen. His ability to get things done in the most challenging environments has made him a valued colleague. “
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: “We are deeply concerned about this latest development. We are in close contact with the family and are working with the Mozambican government and Met Police to confirm more details. “
The official text added: “We support the Mozambican people against the threat of terrorism and we work with the government to restore peace and stability”.
The fight goes on
In Palma, military operations to retake the city continued on Friday. According to images filmed by local news channel TVM, soldiers were seen carrying rocket-propelled grenades and weapons in the area, along with reinforcements arriving by helicopter.
“I can’t say now that we have the whole city under control,” army spokesman Chongo Vidigal said in the photos. However, security forces were present in the port area.
Most of the media was cut off after the attack began on March 24. The Maputo government does not respond to calls from the press.
Aid groups believe the attack displaced tens of thousands of people. Hundreds, including many foreign workers, were evacuated by plane.
On Wednesday afternoon, a United Nations Migration Agency tracker showed more than 8,100 people had been displaced, nearly half of whom were children.
About 20% had arrived in Pemba, the provincial capital of Cabo Delgado, and others had arrived in the districts of Mueda, Montepuez and Nangade in other parts of the province. However, the true extent of casualties and displacement remains uncertain.
Paris, correspondent
CB
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