Sightings of Islamic State-backed insurgents near Nangade town in northern Cabo Delgado province since Monday have caused panic to spread throughout the district, local sources told Zitamar News.
Insurgents were seen around the villages of Quinto Congresso, Machava, Mtipuedi, Eduardo Mondlane and Litingina.
“At the moment the situation is tense, the population is abandoning [Litingina] for nearby villages that they think are safe,” a Nangade resident said.
Locals assume that insurgents have come to Nangade looking for food and supplies, the source added.
Other residents report that there is no traffic on the road between Nangade and Mueda, which is crucial for bringing people and goods to northern Cabo Deglado.
One woman encountered the insurgents on her way home to her farm in Litingina and they stole her mobile phone, a local source reported.
“They didn't do anything to her, they just snatched her phone and sent her back,” the source said.
The disruption is affecting the business of cashew nut farmers, who mostly sell their product in Nampula province to the south, the source said.
