At least 120 children taken by insurgents in Mozambique, rights group says

Published on 24/06/2025 - 18:43 GMT+2

At slightest 120 children person been kidnapped by jihadist insurgents successful northern Mozambique successful caller days, Human Rights Watch said connected Tuesday, informing of a emergence successful abductions successful nan country's troubled Cabo Delgado province.

The children are reportedly being utilized by a group linked to nan alleged Islamic State known locally arsenic al-Shabab to carrier looted goods, execute forced labour and successful immoderate cases service arsenic kid soldiers.

Mozambique has been battling an Islamist insurgency successful Cabo Delgado since 2017.

Government forces person struggled to incorporate nan violence, relying connected support from troops sent by Rwanda, South Africa and different location partners.

In 2020, nan insurgents carried retired a activity attacks successful which they beheaded dozens of people, including children.

Witnesses person said that children abducted from towns and villages have been utilized arsenic fighters successful consequent attacks.

The unit has displaced much than 600,000 group and spilled into neighbouring provinces, according to nan United Nations.

Human Rights Watch said location had been a resurgence of attacks and kid kidnappings successful nan past 2 months and called connected Mozambique's authorities to do much to find nan children and forestall further abductions.

The problems successful Cabo Delgado were mostly overshadowed by Mozambique's deadly and long-running post-election protests past year.

Cabo Delgado has besides been battered by respective caller cyclones and wounded by US President Donald Trump's cuts to overseas aid.

The Norwegian Refugee Council's (NRC) Secretary General, Jan Egeland, visited Cabo Delgado this period and described nan business successful bluish Mozambique arsenic a neglected crisis.

"Climate shocks, expanding unit and spiralling hunger are having a unspeakable effect connected nan population," Egeland said.

The NRC said much than 5 cardinal group faced captious levels of hunger and much than 900,000 group faced emergency hunger conditions.