Pope Francis Donates to Mozambique’s Victims of Attacks in “gesture of pastoral charity”

Cabo Delgado, the Northernmost Province in Mozambique, has been witnessing growing instability since October 2017 when an Islamist armed group known locally as Al-Sunna wa Jama’a (ASWJ) attacked a police station in Mocimboa da Praia district.

The violent insurgency has negatively affected the lives of over 600,000 people, with more than 200,000 displaced across the region, according to UN Reliefweb.

The attacks have been growing in intensity since the beginning of this year.

In October, the Local Ordinary of Pemba appealed for aid saying that the people of God in the region are experiencing a “deep humanitarian crisis.”

“We need support, we need help. We are truly in a deep humanitarian crisis and we need solidarity,” Bishop Lisboa said October 26.

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The Brazilian-born Prelate who was speaking after visiting Paquitequete beach where those fleeing the violence in the region had been arriving in small boats added, “There are a lot of people to be cared for and they need everything.”

Following the call for solidarity made by the Bishop Lisboa, members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) paid a visit to the Local Ordinary of Pemba Diocese from December 2 to 4. 

“The purpose of the visit was to show solidarity with the Bishop of Pemba, the people of Cabo Delgado and see the reality in which people displaced due to terrorism live,” Bishop José Luís of Manzini Diocese in Eswatini has been quoted as saying during the visit. 

The representatives of SACBC, which constitutes Catholic Dioceses in South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland also called on those who are responsible for the instability to end the terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado Province.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.