Mocímboa da Praia offensive

The Mocímboa da Praia offensive was a six day long offensive in northern Mozambique by Islamic State's Central African Province (IS-CAP) to capture the town of 30,000. The offensive, part of the insurgency in Cabo Delgado, was a major success for IS-CAP, as they captured Mocímboa da Praia.

Mocímboa da Praia offensive
Part of the War against the Islamic State, the Insurgency in Cabo Delgado

Day by day map of the offensive. Grey shows ISCAP control and arrows show troop movement. Dotted lines are the frontlines.
Date5 August – 11 August 2020
(6 days)
Location
Mocímboa da Praia, Mocímboa da Praia District, Mozambique
Result Islamic State victory[1]
Belligerents
 Islamic State  Mozambique
Units involved
Islamic State's Central Africa Province
Al-Shabaab[2]		 Mozambique Defence Armed Forces (FADM)
Dyck Advisory Group (DAG) mercenaries
Strength
1,000+ Unknown
Casualties and losses
86+ killed Mozambique 110+ killed[3]
One HV32 vessel destroyed
Unknown civilian losses

Offensive

The offensive actions started on August 5, 2020 when IS-CAP insurgents attacked the villages of Anga, 1 de Maio, Awasse, and the outskirts of Mocímboa da Praia on the same night.[4] On August 6, IS-CAP attacked two military bases in Mocímboa da Praia, killing or wounding 50 soldiers and seizing dozens of rifles and RPG-7s. The government also repeated an attempted assault on the city, killing 16 insurgents. On August 8, the government pulled out of Ntotue, a strategic town in between Mocímboa da Praia and Awasse.[4] On August 9, IS-CAP took the town of Awasse and were in control of the outskirts of Mocímboa da Praia. A well-carried out ambush took place on Sunday just before Awasse, killing 55 recruits and injuring 90 more.[4][3] By the 10th the city of Mocímboa da Praia was completely cut off from food and ammunition. South Africa's Dyck Advisory Group attempted to airdrop ammunition onto the city under siege but dropped it too far from the Mozambican military. As a result, the Mozambicans suffered casualties trying to recover the supplies.[3] On Tuesday, August 11, the Mozambican army, outnumbered and low on ammunition, was forced to retreat by boat from the city. In the retreat, an HV32 interceptor vessel was hit with an RPG and sank. 55 soldiers were killed in running battles during the siege of the city.[3][1] The insurgents lost a total of 70 men during the battle for the city.[5]

Aftermath

Following the offensive, IS-CAP declared Mocímboa da Praia its capital.[6] Several local civilians welcomed the rebels, and were reportedly seen cheering them on.[7] Despite attempts by the Mozambican security forces to retake the town, it remained under rebel control as of March 2021.[8]

A combination of Rwandan and Mozambican forces launched an effort to retake the city at the beginning of August 2021. This offensive was ultimately successful.[9]

As Mocímboa da Praia has traditionally served as a major hub for smuggling in narcotics and minerals, observes believe that the conquest has allowed IS-CAP to impose taxes which provide it with a steady revenue stream.[10]

See also

References
  1. "Mocimboa da Praia: Key Mozambique port 'seized by IS'". BBC. 12 August 2020.
  2. "Mozambique: ISIS-linked Group Using Child Soldiers". Human Rights Watch. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  3. "Mocimboa da Praia: Islamic State insurgents recapture strategic port town". Daily Maverick. 12 August 2020.
  4. "Cabo Ligado Weekly: 3 - 9 August 2020 - Mozambique". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
  5. "Cabo Ligado Weekly: 10-16 August 2020". ACLED. 2020-08-19. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
  6. "ISIS take over luxury islands popular among A-list celebrities". News.com.au. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  7. Tulet, Amélie (13 April 2021). "Crise au Mozambique: «l'insurrection au Cabo Delgado a des racines locales et anciennes»". RFI. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  8. Dino Mahtani; Nelleke van de Walle; Piers Pigou; Meron Elias (18 March 2021). "Understanding the New U.S. Terrorism Designations in Africa". Crisis Group. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  9. "Mozambique insurgency: Key port retaken from insurgents - Rwanda". 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  10. Renon, Eva (5 April 2021). "Terrorism in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province: Examining the data and what to expect in the coming years". IHS Markit. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
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