(PatriotSpotlight.org) – An Islamist militia in Mozambique has been found using child soldiers in recent attacks. People fleeing violence in the country’s northern Cabo Delgado province said they recognized boys as young as 13 as their own missing relatives. The Islamic State-linked terror group has long been recorded as involved in kidnapping minors to be employed in their violence. Their latest uptick in attacks this March left some 70 children missing without a trace.
Journalists reported horrific testimonies of episodes in which dozens of child soldiers known to locals were seen armed with AK-style rifles and ammunition belts in the clashes. Last Friday, May 10th, an onslaught against the city of Macomia began, lasting until Saturday. Islamists looted food from shops and warehouses, exchanging fire with Mozambican and South African troops before finally retreating. Some 10 people, largely soldiers, lost their lives and around 700 civilians were displaced to a nearby forest where they sought shelter.
International law regards using children aged 15 or below as combatants as a war crime. The International Criminal Court recently paid more than $56 million in reparations fees to victims of a Ugandan rebel commander, some of whom had been minors forced to fight.
An environment-focused NGO, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), active in Mozambique also recently shed light on some of the economic factors in the conflict. In a recent report, the EIA concluded that millions of tons of timber had been illicitly shipped from war-torn Cabo Delgado to China since 2017. They said profits from this criminal trade, which violates Mozambique’s log export ban, were likely funding the IS-linked insurgency which also threatens the region’s lucrative $20 billion natural gas project.
A regional force, including South African troops, has been active in the province since the outbreak of IS-related insurgency in 2017. As recent as 2020, Islamist terrorists beheaded dozens of civilians, including children. After an apparent lull in strife, a new spate of violence has erupted in 2024 as regional troops begin withdrawing ahead of their July deadline. Rwandan troops, who must adhere to a separate bi-lateral deal with Maputom, are expected to stick around.
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