Good afternoon. Panic gripped people in coastal neighbourhoods of the Cabo Delgado town of Palma yesterday, after rumours spread that insurgents were entering the town. The commotion was such, according to a source in touch with Zitamar News, that security forces began to investigate. This only made matters worse, says the source, as the locals were not sure if the people in uniform were security forces or insurgents (the latter like to wear uniform, as this newsletter noted recently).
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The locals can hardly be blamed for being jumpy. As we report today, insurgents dressed in military uniforms got into the town on Friday and killed a 16-year-old boy, the first time they have been able to penetrate into the town since the March 2021 attack that left over 1,400 people dead or missing. Confidence in the security forces, even the once celebrated Rwandans, to protect the towns of Palma and Mocímboa da Praia seems to be declining among residents.
