An Islamist group in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, affiliated with the Islamic State group, has been accused of using child soldiers as young as 13 in recent attacks on a town. Residents forced to flee the fighting recognized some of the child soldiers as their missing relatives, according to Human Rights Watch. The surge of attacks in March left at least 70 children missing, with witnesses reporting that dozens of child soldiers were used in the attacks armed with AK-style assault rifles and ammunition belts. For example, one resident recognized his 13-year-old nephew among the child soldiers, who appeared to be taking instructions from older fighters.
The attacks on the town of Macomia began on Friday and continued until the next day, with Islamist fighters looting shops and warehouses for food and engaging in gunfire with Mozambican and South African soldiers before retreating, according to reports. At least 10 people, mostly soldiers, were reportedly killed in the latest fighting, and around 700 residents fled to nearby forests to escape the violence. Recruiting children under the age of 15 as soldiers is considered a war crime under international law, and efforts are being made to hold those responsible for such actions accountable.
The attacks in Mozambique come amid allegations from the Environmental Investigation Agency that millions of tons of timber have been illegally exported from Cabo Delgado to China since 2017, with profits used to finance the insurgency. Chinese traders are accused of purchasing “conflict timber” from insurgents and exporting it alongside other wood in violation of Mozambique’s log export ban. In response to the insurgency, South Africa deployed soldiers to Cabo Delgado as part of a regional force, with soldiers from Rwanda expected to remain under a separate bilateral deal with Mozambique. The conflict, which began in 2017, has forced over a million people to flee their homes and resulted in thousands of deaths.
In February, judges at the International Criminal Court granted reparations of over 52 million euros to victims of a convicted commander of a Ugandan rebel group, including former child soldiers. The insurgency in Mozambique poses a threat to a $20 billion natural gas project in Cabo Delgado, with aid agencies reporting that thousands have been killed and more than a million people displaced since the conflict started in October 2017. Insurgents were reported to have beheaded dozens of people, including children, in 2020, and after a period of relative inactivity, they have launched a new wave of attacks this year. The withdrawal of regional troops from their positions ahead of a July deadline raises concerns about the ongoing security situation in the region and the protection of civilians impacted by the conflict.
