An armed group today attacked the village of Macomia, the main town in the center of Cabo Delgado province, northern Mozambique, several residents said, on the run.
The village is the main meeting point in the middle of the paved road that connects the north to the south of the province, has a bank branch, various services and commercial establishments.
“They are here,” one resident told Lusa, describing the sound of gunshots inside the village after the sun came up, as he prepared to flee into the woods, just as he said he was doing almost the entire population.
Other residents also reported being on the run due to gunfire, with reference to the sound of heavy weapons. Residents said they had received warnings from neighboring towns of Litamanda and Chai, 40 kilometers north of Macomia, that they had been under attack by armed men since 4 am local time (3 am in Lisbon).
The information also reached relatives displaced by the conflict, born in Macomia and who are currently in the provincial capital of Cabo Delgado, Pemba, but who throughout the day were losing contact with those who were still keeping active cell phones in the bush. Despite the attempts, it was not possible to obtain clarification from the authorities.
Cabo Delgado has been under attack by rebel armed groups since October 2017, classified since the beginning of the year by Mozambican and international authorities as a terrorist threat.
