Link: https://allafrica.com/stories/202103030808.html
Last Thursday six Islamist terrorist were killed by Mozambican defense and security forces in Luneke Village. The conflict happened after the forces tracked twenty terrorists that killed four people in the village. A source says that the Mozambican forces arrived on the scene late because they were checking to make sure the people of the village had masks. The terrorists began to burn and loot homes in the village after finding out that the forces killed some of their own, they even blocked the road from Mueda to Nangade with barricades and threatened its supply route. Many villages in this region are now abandoned after terrorist attacks.
It is still early since these attacks started, but for the Sub-Saharan region this could be worrisome if action isn’t taken. This is important because it shows that not even Southern Africa is safe from Middle Eastern terrorist attacks. I believe this is just another case of terrorists trying to intimidate a specific group and area, but the question is why? And where are they headed next in Sub-Saharan Africa? Sub Saharan Africa isn’t new to terrorism, they have a bit of history with groups like Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, and Boko Haram. Perhaps it is the amount of corruption in this region that peaks the attention of these groups, or maybe it is just a new location that they want to intimidate.
Shatterbelt regions are typically the most appealing to terrorist organizations, that is why Africa and the Middle East are such hotspots. The amount of corruption, political instability, and weak leaders makes it easy to strike terror on their citizens. The only solution to this problem is removing the corruption and pretty much make this region no longer a shatterbelt. Now that is quite a difficult task but I think it’s solution lies in diplomatic diplomacy and international economic cooperation. See with the help of some global superpowers not only will it be more difficult for terrorists to do what they do best, but through trade agreements with countries like China the Sub Saharan region will have an economic boost that could take out a large chunk of their corruption, and allow room for strong leaders.