North Coast mother loses son in insurgent attack in Mozambique

Zinkwazi mother, Meryle Knox, is mourning the death of her eldest son to Islamic militants while fervently hoping for the safe return of her husband and her second son after violent attacks on civilians in northern Mozambique this week.

Adrian Nel (41) was among several foreign contractors killed on Friday, March 26 after insurgents launched an attack on the coastal town of Palma in northern Mozambique on Wednesday.

Greg Knox (55) and Wesley Nel (37) are believed to be in the process of being evacuated.

About 200 expatriates took refuge inside the Amarula Palma hotel after the town – the hub of a multi-billion rand gas project- came under siege by insurgents on Wednesday afternoon.

According to several reports the expatriates were ambushed at the gates of the hotel as they tried to flee in a 17 vehicle convoy after waiting 2 days to be evacuated.

Others were killed when the insurgents finally overran the hotel.

Only 7 vehicles made it out.

Local authorities have yet to release the number of casualties and their nationalities.

In a statement Human Rights Watch said heavy fighting broke out in the town when the group known locally as Al-Shabab – linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) – raided the gas-rich town, killing and wounding civilians and forcing locals to flee into surrounding forest areas.

Many people are still unaccounted for.

Several witnesses told Human Rights Watch that they saw bodies on the streets and residents fleeing after the Al-Shabab fighters fired indiscriminately at people and buildings.

Mobile phone signals were disrupted, making it harder to obtain accurate information about the situation, the casualties, and the whereabouts of many residents.

The attack unlawfully targeted civilians in violation of the laws of war.

Southern Africa director at Human Rights Watch, Dewa Mavhinga said: “Al-Shabab fired on civilians in their homes and on the streets in Palma, as they tried to flee for their lives.”

The town – in the northern province of Cabo Delgado – is about 10km from a multi-billion dollar gas processing plant being constructed by French oil and gas giant, Total and is in a 25km “special security area” that Total requested from the government following a series of insurgent attacks in December and January.

The attack came shortly after Total announced plans to resume construction at the nearby site after it suspended activities and evacuated non-essential staff.

Mozambique (Palma)
1) Was the assault in reply to the Total press release? No – the attack showed meticulous planning, which makes a prompt reaction decidedly implausible. pic.twitter.com/j9LhX2T3Bt

— Jasmine Opperman (@Jasminechic00) March 27, 2021

Executive chairman of the African Energy Chamber, NJ condemned the terror attacks and said they were not simply targets of opportunity but strategic targets to destroy Mozambique’s ability to produce and export gas and to make it clear that the government was unable to protect oil company personnel or assets.

The massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in northern Mozambique, is one of several being developed in the country’s extreme north following one of the largest gas finds in decades off its coast in 2010.