Rwandan forces capture six suspected insurgents in Pangane village
The suspects were detained while buying food for insurgents in a village that has served as a supply point for the group.
Six individuals suspected of terrorism were captured by Rwandan forces last Friday night in Pangane village, in Mozambique's Macomia district. The suspects had reportedly infiltrated the local population and were discovered and reported to a Rwandan military position in the village while buying food for insurgents.
According to sources cited by the independent newspaper Carta de Moçambique, Pangane has been a key food supply point for the insurgents. In some cases, the group has destroyed businesses and beaten people selling alcohol and cigarettes, which it considers prohibited under its reading of Islamic law.
The arrests come months after the group stopped maintaining a constant presence in the region, following the deployment of an additional Rwandan military unit. Attacks in Cabo Delgado, including at Pangane, prompted more than 700 people to flee in August and September, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Why it mattersVillagers in Pangane who sell food, alcohol or cigarettes face attacks and extortion from the group, and more than 700 people have already fled attacks in Cabo Delgado this year.