Maputo, Oct. 17, 2025 (Lusa) - At least 462 people have been convicted for involvement in attacks over the last eight years in the Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, with 918 criminal cases opened, according to the Central Office for Combating Organised and Transnational Crime (GCCCOT).
According to data confirmed to Lusa by the GCCCOT, an agency of the attorney general's office of Mozambique, since the attacks began In 2017, 918 criminal cases have been opened against 724 people suspected of involvement in the terror attacks, of which 76 have been indicted and 62 have already been tried, leading to 462 convictions with sentences ranging from two to 30 years in prison.
GCCCOT data also indicate that of these 724 citizens, 619 are Mozambicans and the remaining 105 are from countries such as Tanzania, Burundi, Malawi, Somalia, Kenya and South Africa.
The gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique has been the target of terrorist attacks for eight years, with the first attack recorded on 5 October 2017 in the region of Mocímboa da Praia.
Eight years after that first attack, the government said this month that it continues to make efforts to ensure the safety of the population and property so that these communities can remain in their places of origin in peace.
Mozambique's President, Daniel Chapo, this month described the terrorist attacks in the north of the country as "barbaric acts" and against "human dignity".
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) counts 6,257 deaths after eight years of terror attacks in Cabo Delgado, warning of the current instability with the resurgence of violence.
"The situation is very unstable. In September, the Islamic State of Mozambique (ISM) was active in 11 regions of Cabo Delgado and also crossed into Nampula at the end of the month," Peter Bofin, a researcher at ACLED, told Lusa.
According to the senior researcher at the organisation, which collects and analyses data on violent conflicts and protests around the world, since October 2017 at least "2,209 violent events" have been recorded in Cabo Delgado, with "6,257 reported deaths", at least 2,631 of whom were civilians.
Almost 93,000 people have fled Cabo Delgado and Nampula in recent weeks due to the resurgence of terrorist attacks in northern Mozambique, doubling the number of displaced persons in a few days, according to data from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
According to the latest field report from that United Nations agency, consulted by Lusa, between 22 September and 13 October, the "escalation of attacks and insecurity caused by armed groups" led to "new displacements" - a total of 92,792 people, equivalent to 25,476 families - mainly in the regions of Balama, Mocímboa da Praia, Montepuez and Chiúre, Cabo Delgado, but also in Memba, Nampula province.
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