Monthly Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Brief for East and Central Africa (Somalia, Mozambique, DR-Congo, Tanzania, Uganda): Tracking Islamic State Terrorists For February 2023

 

 

 

Executive Summary:

In Mozambique, in February the Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) insurgents appear to have broken into three main fighting groups which in the past two weeks carried out simultaneous attacks Mueda, Montepuez, and Meluco districts. The attacks had the intention of cutting off the two main highways connecting the north and south of Cabo Delgado province. A sizable insurgent force is still operating around Mocímboa da Praia, threatening the security of the district headquarters

The militancy in Cabo Delgado appears to be emulating al Shabaab, the al Qaeda-affiliated group in Somalia as they seek to establish a shadowy government in the north of Mozambique. The militants have warned villagers against collaboration with security forces, promising a better life if they cooperated with them, promised to pay for their supplies as well as urged the residents not to fear them or flee from their homes.

Rwandan president Paul Kagame assured Mozambican president Nyusi that Rwanda would remain steadfast in its support for Mozambique in fighting the insurgency in Cabo Delgado. He maintained that Rwandan forces would remain deployed in Cabo Delgado as Mozambican security forces worked to improve their capacity to combat the insurgency.

In DRC Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) appears to have resulted in conducting attacks along the main roads in both North Kivu and Ituri provinces. The attacks have been used to restock their supplies and weapons and take advantage of the attention other rebel groups like M23 and CODECO have been receiving especially with the presence of East African troops deployed in Goma.

In Somalia, the US killed Bilal al-Sudani a key figure in the Islamic State network in Africa in an operation conducted by Special forces in Puntland. Al Sudani was very instrumental and an important leader for the Islamic State’s operations across much of eastern, central, and southern Africa. The group also suffered more setbacks after the wife of the group’s leader was sentenced to prison for being an active financial facilitator for the group, especially in Mogadishu where was arrested.

Incident Report:

MOZAMBIQUE

§  27^th Feb– ISM militants carried out an armed assault on the Muambala village in the Muidumbe district.

§  25^th Feb– a man was killed and his wife was kidnapped near Muambala village In Muidumbe district

§  22^nd Feb– ISM insurgents conducted an attack on a Nicocue village located along the R698 road that links Mueda and Montepuez in Cabo Delgado. The attack was on a bus that was set on fire but all the passengers escaped unharmed.

§  22^nd Feb– armed militants attacked a village in Palma district where they looted for supplies and left.

§  22^nd Feb– ISM militants attacked Vila de Mocimboa located in Mocimboa da Praia

§  21^st Feb– Nikokwe village located in the Montepuez region of CD was attacked by armed ISM militants.

§  17^th Feb– at least two women were kidnapped in Maputo village located between Palma and MDP after the militants clashed with local forces.

§  14^th Feb– there was an attack by the ISM terrorists in Miangalewa village in the Muidumbe district.

§  13^th Feb- Armed militants attacked and burned a military base in Nairoto village in the Montepuez district of Cabo Delgado. At least five soldiers were killed in the attack.

§  12^th Feb- ISM insurgents attacked a Border Guard’s position in Nairoto, Montepuez they looted shops & burned 2 police vehicles.

§  10^th Feb- ISM left a handwritten letter in Mwiriti Concession in Nairoto, Montepuez district. The letter was urging the civilians not to flee in an attempt to win over the residents by suggesting that the group wasn’t attacking them but rather just looking to restock.

§  04^th Feb- ISM insurgents targeted and attacked Christians in Miula village in Mueda District.

§  06^TH Feb- there were clashes between the terror organization and the military after they attempted to attack Christians along the N381 road in Namacule village in Muidumbe district.

§  04^th Feb- at least one person was killed when ISM militants conducted an ambush targeting the vehicles of Christians on the N380 road near Mitambo village between Macomia and Pemba, Meluco districts.

§  05^th Feb- five Christians were executed in Chapa village in the Mueda district.

§  04^th Feb- ISM cells attacked Christians in Namulo village in Montepuez where they burned several buildings. Intelligence shows that the militants had been roaming around the area in small cells.

§  01^st Feb- Mozambican troops were ambushed by insurgents on the road that links Makao and Macomia in Cabo Delgado.

§  01^st Feb- at least 7 people were killed and another 7 were seriously injured and several vehicles were razed following an attack by ISM on N380 near the village of 19 de Outubro, just 5 km north of Mitambo.  

 

THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

§  27^th Feb– ISCAP militants clashed with Ugandan and Congolese troops in Kabasiwa in the Mulekia area located between RN4 and RN44 in the Beni region.

§  24^th Feb– at least two people were killed when armed ISCAP militants attacked Army barracks in the Karuruma area between RN4 and RN2 in North Kivu Province.

§  18^th Feb– at least 12 people were taken hostage by ISCAP militants from the village of Kithuma in the locality of Lisasa in the Buliki group in Beni.

§  12^th Feb- 12 people were killed in a nighttime assault on the RN27 in the Irumu area in Ituri.

§  10^th Feb- 4 Christians were killed in an ambush by ISCAP on the RN4 in Ndalya in Ituri province.

§  10^th Feb- ISCAP ambushed a trade convoy on the RN2 between Beni and Kasindi in North Kivu.

§  10^th FEB- 3 people were killed by ISCAP terrorists in an armed assault along the RN4 in Mahala in Ituri province.

§  09^th Feb- ISCAP conducted two attacks on a Ugandan Army patrol between the RN2 and RN4 on the way to Karuhamba, Mwalika region in North-Kivu province.

§  08^th Feb- armed insurgents killed 3 people on the RN4 road in Malibongo in Ituri province.

§  08^th Feb- 12 people were killed in an armed ISCAP assault on the RN4 road in Oicha in the Beni region.

§  1^st Feb- ISCAP ambushed a Christian convoy killing one persona and razing a motorcycle along the RN4 between Komanda and Erengeti in Ituri Province.

§  1^st Feb- 3 people were killed in an armed assault along the RN4 in the Idohu area in Ituri province.

SOMALIA

§  13^th Feb- Islamic State Somalia (ISS) militants attacked a military convoy carrying the electoral team with an IED in Wadi Jeil Southeast of Bosaso in Puntland.

§  11^th Feb- ISS detonated an IED targeting a vehicle carrying a Somali government official in the Karan neighborhood in Mogadishu.

NOTABLES:

Mozambique

In Mozambique, ISM insurgents appear to have broken into three main fighting groups that appear to be moving in small-cell groups of fighters. In the Nangade district, allied Mozambican and SAMIM forces pushed insurgents out of the Nkonga forest and across the Nangade-Pundahar road. Felling the pressure of the military operations against them the insurgents have resulted in alternative means to win over territory by seemingly appealing and assuring the residents they were there to peacefully purchase supplies, a trend that is being observed across the province.

In February due to heavy rainfall which has affected the mobility of both insurgents and security forces the number of attacks has been very minimal. Thus, especially in the second half of the month, few attacks were recorded as most parts of the nation experienced heavy rain as well as flooding caused by a recent cyclone.

A note left in a settlement near Nairoto in the Montepuez district implored villagers who had fled not to fear the insurgents, and that they were willing to pay for what they had taken for their basic needs. The note also left that stated; Muslims who contacted the mobile number on the leaflet would be paid, but Christians would need to either convert to Islam or submit to pay tax. Elsewhere, they warned villagers against collaboration with security forces, promising a better life if they cooperated with them.

Due to the onslaught by the allied troops, the insurgents tried and failed to cross the Rovuma river into Tanzania and returned to the Nkonga forest according to intelligence. The failure to cross over to new AORs can be partially credited to the recent moves by the militants to make nice with the civilians, and attempts at the establishment of a shadowy government as is the case of the al Shabaab in Somalia.

Civic participation in the eradication and apprehension of militants has increased with the previously broken trust between the population and the security forces being gradually restored. The populace has also been taking proactive measures in ensuring that the militants are arrested in an effort to ensure the gains made by the allied troops and the resumption of normalcy in the affected regions. Four suspected insurgents were also arrested in the Nabubusi neighborhood of MDP town after they returned home for food and were reported to the authorities by their mothers.

The United Nations has maintained that according to intelligence, the group has greatly reduced in numbers but it appears to have become more effective. The report by the UN said that the remaining insurgents have shown enhanced strategic and tactical coordination, forcing the overextension of regional forces with attacks in northern, central, and southern Cabo Delgado. Additionally, it appears that the group has been attacking economic infrastructure and projects decapitating the economic growth and sustainability of the province. At the same time, it is evident that the group is seeking to appeal to the population and as such reduced the number of civilian casualties.

 

DRC

There were civil riots and protests against the EACRF and the MONUSCO peacekeeping troops for what was termed as a lack of pressure against the rebel and terror groups active in the restive eastern region. At last eight protesters were killed and 28 others injured during an assault on the UN Peacekeeping convoy in Goma.

In Ituri province, security continues to deteriorate as ISCAP continues to attack the civilian population, looting and killing the residents, especially in Irumu territory. It appears that the militants continue to exploit the fact that most of the military attention is on Goma fighting the Rwandan-backed rebels. This split attention has provided ISCAP with an opportunity to restock supplies especially by attacking the trade convoys along the main road that connects North Kivu and Ituri provinces.

There was a video circulating on social media of a group of ISCAP militants pledging allegiance to the IS Caliph as well as praising foreign fighters in an undisclosed location in DRC.

The census of voters for the December presidential election in eastern DRC is a very delicate operation in a region infested with armed groups and whose portions of territory are occupied by rebels. ISCAP alongside other rebel groups has been attacking villages a move that analysts project is geared at undermining the electoral process and elections slated for later in December.

The Congolese and Ugandan armies have called ISCAP terrorists who are still active in the regions of Beni and Ituri to surrender and lay down their arms. The spokesperson for the joint Congolese and Ugandan armies’ operations terrorists, Lieutenant-Colonel Mak Hazukay, made the call during the periodical press briefing. He emphasized that both governments have already made significant efforts to end the insurgency and have shown good faith by treating those who surrender or are captured humanely.

 

Somalia

The death of Bilal al-Sudani has caused a major hitch in the financial network of not only ISS but also other provinces including ISM and ISCAP. Intelligence indicates that Al Sudani headed the Islamic State’s Al-Karrar regional office which is in charge of the Sub-Saharan provinces, and their affairs and provides a bridge beyond Africa. The Sudanese has shown his shrewd nature and is believed to have received and disbursed millions from various financial facilitators and various groups.

Islamic State Somalia (ISS) has propped itself as a major player in the coordination and facilitation of the Islamic State’s affairs across much of Africa. This role more than makes up for what the group lacks in tactical threat as compared to other branches such as IS in DRC, Mozambique, and the larger Sahel and Maghreb regions.

ISS suffered another setback after the wife of the leader of Daesh in Somalia, Abdulkadir Mu’min, Fartun Abdirashid Hussein, was sentenced to eight years in military prison., the wife of Abdulqadir Mu’min, was sentenced to eight years in military prison and was in charge of the group’s financial operations through her working relationship with the recently killed Bilal Al-Sudani. She was also charged with housing and offering refuge to members of the terror organization.