Good afternoon. Parts of Cabo Delgado province’s Ancuabe district are in turmoil after an insurgent attack on the village of Minheuene on Thursday, in which several buildings including a Catholic church were burned. The church belonged to the parish of Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, a parish with a long history of association with Catholic missionary work in Cabo Delgado. The mission there has recently been in the hands of a Catholic religious order that prioritises free Christian education of children and young people. Perhaps that is why the insurgents also burned the local school. This is the first time a building belonging to the Catholic Church has been attacked by insurgents since an attack in Chiúre district in 2024. There are no deaths confirmed.
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The violence has prompted an upset response from the bishop of Pemba, António Juliasse, who complained that the Mozambican security forces did nothing to stop the attack, despite the fact that, according to Juliasse, there had been an insurgent attack nearby recently. It is unusual for Catholic figures like him to speak out in this way about the insurgency: generally their comments are quite reserved, as the Vatican does not like to play up the idea of religious wars. It seems that the insurgents knew not to expect resistance: the attack was carried out by children and young people who looked under 18, according to reports. It is unusual for insurgents to send children into battle, although they are known to train child soldiers.
