Murder in Mozambique
We unpack the recent horror attack by Jihadi rebels that shocked the world
THE rat-a-tat-tat of machine guns was getting closer and they could smell the acrid smoke of burning buildings. For the thousands trapped in the besieged town of Palma there were just two choices: stay and wait for the Jihadi rebels to come for them, or make a run for it into the night. Aware that it might be days before help arrived in the remote area in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province, many chose the second option, hoping they’d be able to hide in the bush. But what awaited them was the stuff of nightmares – headless bodies lying in the streets, and men armed to the teeth and intent on executing anyone they caught trying to escape.
Among the fleeing inhabitants of the town were hundreds of South African, British and French expats, who’d been engaged to work on energy giant Total’s multibillion-dollar natural gas project. But as they evacuated their hotels and compounds under the cover of darkness, they walked straight into a bloodbath.
“Lots of people were moving through dense bush trying to follow roads which led either to the beaches or to Afungi [a nearby town]. The rebels knew this and waited for them,” an SA intelligence source said. “When they caught people, they’d drag them out into the roads and execute them. They’d try to lure those in the bush out, promising not to execute their victims. Those who came out were killed. Those who didn’t watched as those who were caught were beheaded or shot execution-style.”
There was a brief glimmer of hope when helicopters belonging to the Mozambican defence force arrived – but they were no match for the rebels, who were armed with mortars, and so they soon departed.
After three days of being trapped in the Amarula Palma hotel, Greg Knox, an SA contractor, and his stepsons, Adrian and Wesley Nel, realised if they wanted to get out alive, they’d have to take matters into
THOSE WHO WERE CAUGHT WERE BEHEADED OR SHOT
their own hands. They were among the scores of guests who tried to escape but as they fled in a convoy of 17 cars, they were attacked. Adrian (40), a father of three, was shot in the crossfire. He died in his brother’s arms.
Greg and Wesley (37) managed to flee and spent a hellish night hiding in the bush with Adrian’s body. They were eventually rescued and flown to safety before returning home to Durban.
Meanwhile, in what’s been described as a “modern-day Dunkirk” operation, private boats of all shapes and sizes – from tugs to ferries – came to the rescue, helping to evacuate people still trapped in the town and take them to Pemba, the province’s capital, about 250km south.
Now, with an estimated 10 000 people having been evacuated, Palma is like a ghost town. The exact number of people injured and killed in the four-day assault is unknown but it’s thought that it could be dozens. At the time of going to print more than 60 people, including several SA citizens, were still missing.
As the rebels retreated, terrorist organisation Isis claimed responsibility for the attacks which were carried out by AlShabaab, a militant Mozambican Islamic group with close ties to Isis.
Over the years we’ve grown used to hearing about beheadings and executions carried out by Islamic groups in Syria and Iraq. But stuff like this happening on African soil – so close to home?
While the onslaught has sent shockwaves through the international community, these kinds of attacks aren’t new in Mozambique. Over the past few years the violence in the mineral-rich Cabo Delgado province has become so unbearable that more than 700 000 people have become refugees.
But the reason the world is finally up in arms is because the Palma attack marks the first time radical groups have targeted foreign workers.
Security analysts describe the attack as a “game changer” as it shows how brazen the rebels are. And they’re warning that if nothing is done, it spells big trouble for Mozambique – and South Africa.
WHY HAS NOTHING BEEN DONE?
Although there’ve been frequent reports about trouble in the province, SA, the African Union (AU) and the international community have turned a blind eye. The Mozambican defence force has been powerless to restore order. The army is reportedly dismally ill equipped, frequently running out of ammunition and fuel for helicopters.
With President Cyril Ramaphosa as the chair of both the Southern African Development Community and the AU, he’s under increasing pressure to act. Yet government sources say intervention isn’t possible until the Mozambican government formally requests it.
WHAT THE CHAOS MEANS FOR SA
As the fighting is still confined to the far north, it poses little risk to SA right now but security experts are worried it could spread south. If it escalates, there’s a chance more Mozambicans could seek sanctuary over the border in SA. And as the terrorists have turned their attention to foreigners, it’s possible overseas workers and tourists could be at greater risk.
But the thing that most concerns SA analysts is reports that there was South African involvement in the siege.
“The Hawks actually admitted there are 12 South Africans fighting with these people,” says Willem Els, a senior training coordinator on terrorism for the Institute for Security Studies. He’s worried that when those South Africans return home, they could use what they’ve learnt in Mozambique to plot attacks here.