Police Claim to Have Killed Militia Leader in Mozambique

Lenin Ndebele in Zimbabwe

Police claim to have killed a militia leader named "Cassimo" in Niassa province of Mozambique.

There are calls for immediate deployment of more military personnel to curb emerging terrorism in the province.

Ecologists worry that terrorism will disturb Niassa Special Reserve one of Africa's largest protected nature reserves.

Mozambique's Commander General of the Police claims Defence and Security Forces (FDS) recently killed a leader of a militia outfit operating in Niassa province.

Of late, militias have been bypassing Cabo Delgado where there's a heavy presence of security forces and moving into what was a relatively peaceful Niassa province.

In a televised and widely circulated statement, Commander General of the Police Bernardino Rafael said a local man named Cassimo, who was on the wanted people's list, was killed during a shoot out.

"In this engagement, one of the wanted terrorists, a man named Cassimo, was hit. The people of Niassa know him. He was a Muslim from Mecula and, from his death, we conclude that these are terrorists who have crossed from Cabo Delgado to Mecula," he said.

However, the two men identified in August by the US State Department as leaders of the Islamist terrorists, Bonomade Machude Omar, also known as Abu Sulafya Muhammad, and Ibn Omar alias Abu Yasir Hassan are yet to be located.

Crisis24, an intelligence and risk insight think-tank, in a statement said that with the developments in Niassa, particularly Mecula, there is a need for the urgent deployment of the military there.

"Militant attacks will almost certainly persist in the coming weeks absent of any military intervention. Security forces will likely establish security checkpoints, which could prompt localised business and transport disruptions."

There have been notable attacks in the province such as the Niassa Special Reserve raid of 2 December, a police contingent was attacked on 27 November, and some civilians on 29 November.

In a series of tweets, Colleen Begg, a South African conservation ecologist, said the attacks in Niassa have many hidden costs.

"There are many hidden costs to the developing insurgency inside Niassa Special Reserve. We need to put a face and details to this. Remember our humanity. Over & above the fear and the horrific loss of a life far away there are more daily struggles already," she tweeted.

The Niassa Special Reserve (NSR) in northern Mozambique is one of Africa's largest protected nature reserves at around 42 300 square kilometres. It is connected to the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania. The park is home to the largest intact Miombo woodland with an animal population comprising of lions, elephants, leopards, and wild dogs.