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Since January, al-Shabaab terrorists in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado Province have abducted at least 120 boys and girls, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
HRW tracked a series of al-Shabaab attacks on the villages of Mumu, Chibau, Ntotwe and Magaia between January and May 2025. Of the 120 children reported kidnapped, only six have been released. Those remaining captive are believed to be facing grueling forced labor (such as lifting and transporting stolen goods, carrying out agricultural work, etc) and being forced into either marriage or fighting.
Al-Shabaab is linked to the Islamic State (IS), and is a separate entity from the Somalia-based al-Qaeda affiliate of the same name.
“When Islamist terror groups attack communities, targeting the most vulnerable – including children and Christians – is a primary objective,” notes Open Doors. “This horrifying pattern is now unfolding in northern Mozambique. The abduction of children is a war crime, and creates lasting, devastating trauma for the whole community.”
The country is number 37 on Open Doors’ World Watch List, which monitors Christian persecution on a global scale.
Mozambique is a majority-Christian country. Its population is around 34.8 million. Around 20 million are estimated to be Christian (57 percent of the entire population) and there are 6.2 million Muslims in the country (17.8 percent.)
The objective of active Islamic groups in Mozambique is to establish an Islamic state. Islamic oppression is thus the most common form of persecution for Christians in Mozambique, due to insurgents.
Islam is a minority religion in Mozambique which mainly centers in the north, where the Islamic insurgency has taken hold. The rise of jihad, particularly in northern regions such as Cabo Delgado, has led to targeted attacks on Christian communities, with churches destroyed, pastors abducted, and lives lost.
In the north of the country, Christians (including children) are murdered for their faith. Christian women are raped, abducted and forcibly married. Muslim converts to Christianity suffer from discrimination and violence.
Since 2017, there have been recurrent attacks against Christians in the north by militants belonging to the IS-affiliated Islamic group, al-Sunnah wa Jama’ah (ASWJ), causing thousands to flee their homes. In addition, ASWJ has called for the removal of Christian symbols, and has attacked houses belonging to Christians in some parts of Cabo Delgado Province.
Over 6,000 have been killed since 2007 by the terror insurgency as they have spread across Mozambique, reports Open Doors. Horrifying incidents involving mass beheadings have occurred, including those of children and a Christian pastor in 2021.
In April 2025, for instance, an attack by Islamic terrorists on the Niassa Special Reserve Conservation Project displaced over 2,000 people and effectively shut down the local economy. Ten park workers were also murdered. Niassa is now under military control; tourism and livelihoods have vanished.
The capability and areas of influence of these militants continue to increase. It is possible that this jihadist violence could expand southwards into neighboring Tanzania and Malawi.
Coalition forces from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Rwanda (together with advisors from other nations) had some success pushing the jihadists back. Nevertheless, in January 2024, a series of coordinated assaults in the Mocímboa da Praia district led to the deaths of ten Christians and the destruction of over 200 homes, including a church.
This violence was part of a broader campaign by the IS (Islamic State) entitled “Kill Them Wherever You Find Them.” This campaign was explicitly aimed at Christians. It was announced by the group’s spokesperson and resulted in widespread violence, with images of the killings and burning properties published in IS’ weekly magazine, Al-Naba.
Throughout 2024, Christian homes and businesses were frequently set on fire, contributing to the ongoing displacement and economic destabilization of Christian communities in the region.
According to the US State Department, in September 2023, an IS-affiliated attack reportedly killed at least 11 Christians; media reports quoted survivors as stating the group separated villagers based on their names before opening fire on those they supposed to be Christians.
International Crisis Group noted:
Mozambique’s northern province, Cabo Delgado, remains embroiled in conflict, largely due to the presence of the Islamic State-affiliated group, ASWJ (ISM). Despite efforts from the SADC and other foreign military forces, the insurgency has not been fully eradicated. The withdrawal of SADC forces (their mandate expired on 15 July 2024) and the recently concluded elections add layers of complexity to Mozambique’s security and political landscape.
Islamic insurgents in the north area are now severely violating the private, family, community and national lives of Christians. Open Doors lists some of those violations:
Common violations affecting Christian women and girls are sexual harassment, rape, and forced marriage. This is attributed to the incursion of Islamic militants. In 2024, there were numerous reports of abductions across areas of the country where jihadists and their cells exert influence. Christian girls were taken as war trophies.
In addition to marriage, girls are also used for forced labor and sexual slavery. The practice of viewing women as domestic slaves and tools of sexuality has fueled the abduction of women by insurgents, who forcibly use them for sex as well as domestic chores. “Over 800 women are said to have been sent to jihadist camps for forced labor or sex,” Open Doors disclosed.
In Muslim-dominated areas such as Cabo Delgado, Christian women and girls are required to comply with the Islamic dress code in all Muslim schools and in communal areas.
Converts from a Muslim background are particularly vulnerable to persecution from within the family sphere. Many Muslim families living in Mozambique force suspected female converts to marry a Muslim man to ensure that they cannot get involved in Christian activities. Objection to these marriages can prove fatal for young women in particular. If already married, converts face the threat of divorce and the loss of custody of their children. They may also be denied their due inheritance.
Furthermore, those Christian men and boys in Mozambique who have been killed in attacks, or who have lost their farmland and properties, have left their families economically challenged. Young boys and men are forcibly recruited into militias. Older men are killed because they are regarded as weak and cannot join the insurgents’ army.
Violent jihadist insurgencies target not only Mozambique, but also many other African nations (both majority-Muslim and majority-Christian), such as Somalia, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, and Cameroon.
The violence has caused severe displacements and food shortages, creating significant humanitarian crises. Of 34.5 million displaced people across Sub-Saharan Africa, around 16.2 million are Christians. Those who have been driven from their homes by Islamic terrorists face severe food insecurity, lack of protection and limited governmental or international support.
Why does the international mainstream media pay very little attention to what is happening in those countries? Why do we hear almost nothing in the legacy media regarding these developments that eventually affect not only Africa but the rest of the world as well?
As Dr David Wood noted on X:
While “activists” in the West tell us to support Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Ayatollah, Christians are being systematically exterminated in Nigeria.
Maybe we can get a Jew to fly down there and throw a rock or something so the world will finally pay attention to what’s happening.
Uzay Bulut is a Turkey-born journalist formerly based in Ankara.