DUBLIN,Ireland June 24-At least 120 children have been abducted in recent days by in Mozambique’s conflict-hit Cabo Delgado province, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Tuesday, raising alarm over a sharp rise in child kidnappings.
The armed group, which is affiliated with the Islamic State and locally known as al-Shabab, is believed to be exploiting the children as forced laborers, couriers for stolen goods, fighters, and, in some cases, for coerced marriages.
Cabo Delgado, in Mozambique’s north, has been gripped by a violent insurgency since 2017. Despite support from regional forces, including troops from Rwanda and South Africa, Mozambique’s government has struggled to regain control of the area.
The insurgents made international headlines in 2020 after a spate of brutal attacks that included the beheadings of civilians, among them children. Survivors and aid workers have since reported that many of the children abducted during those raids were later seen participating in armed assaults.
The United Nations estimates that more than 600,000 people have been displaced by the conflict, which has spilled over into neighboring provinces. HRW now warns that a new wave of attacks and child abductions has emerged in the past two months and is urging Mozambican authorities to intensify efforts to rescue the victims and prevent further kidnappings.
Last year’s deadly post-election unrest in southern Mozambique largely overshadowed the deteriorating situation in Cabo Delgado. At the same time, the region has suffered repeated hits from tropical cyclones, deepening the humanitarian crisis. Cuts to foreign aid such as those made under former U.S. President Donald Trump, have further strained emergency response.
Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), visited Cabo Delgado earlier this month and described the region as one of the world’s most neglected humanitarian emergencies.
“Increasing violence, climate shocks, and severe food insecurity are combining to create a dire situation,” Egeland said. “Communities here are suffering out of sight and out of mind.”
