Mozambican troops are reported to be moving into positions around Mocímboa da Praia in Cabo Delgado province in the north of the country, after the city was overrun by forces linked to the Islamic State.
Reinforcements have been rushed to the area, and there has been speculation that a counter-offensive may be in the offing.
As the Daily Friend has previously reported, the city – the hub of extensive natural gas investments – was captured last week by the Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jamaa group.
“This involved the largest concentration of insurgents we have ever seen, was sophisticated and was clearly planned for some time. It’s a success and an embarrassment for the government, but they are extremely vulnerable at the moment,” Jasmine Opperman, a South African security analyst told the UK’s The Guardian.
The insurgency has been ongoing for several years, and appears to have been fuelled by poverty, developmental and governance failings, and a sense of discrimination on the part of the Muslim residents of a largely Christian country. Some observers have likened the situation in the north of Mozambique to that prevailing in the early phases of Islamist insurgencies in West Africa.
Mozambique has received assistance in its efforts from Russian and South African contractors. News reports in recent weeks suggest that a larger deployment by the South African National Defence Force may be under consideration. Isis has warned that if South Africa becomes involved in the conflict, it would ‘open the fighting front’ in South Africa.