More than 120 children have been abducted since the beginning of 2025 by an armed group linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday.
Quoting civil society organisations, HRW said the militant group, locally known as Al-Shabab – not to be confused with the Somali faction of the same name – has increasingly targeted minors for forced labour, marriage, transportation of looted goods and combat roles.
Abudo Gafuro, executive director at Kwendeleya – a Mozambican NGO that monitors violence and assists victims – told HRW that “in recent days, 120 or more children have been abducted.”
In January, Al-Shabab attacked the village of Mumu, in Mocímboa da Praia district, and abducted four girls and three boys. During Al-Shabab’s subsequent retreat, two children were released, but five remain missing.
The armed group abducted another six children in Chibau in March to carry looted goods; four were released the following day.
On 3 May, Al-Shabab abducted a girl in the village of Ntotwe, Mocímboa da Praia district, while the insurgents kidnapped six girls and two boys on 11 May near Magaia village in Muidumbe district.
HRW deputy Africa director Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz said the surge in abductions of children in Cabo Delgado “adds to the horrors of Mozambique’s conflict.”
“Al-Shabab needs to spare children from the conflict and immediately release those who have been abducted,” Budoo-Scholtz said.
The recent wave of kidnappings follows a pattern documented by HRW, which interviewed residents, activists and UN officials between May and June 2025.
These abductions are part of a broader campaign of terror that has displaced over one million people and killed thousands since insurgents began their attacks in the gas-rich province.
While some kidnapped children have been released, many remain missing, and those who return often face stigma and lack access to reintegration services.
“The country needs a clear strategy on what to do when a child, especially one that has been rescued, returns,” said Benilde Nhalivilo of the Civil Society Forum for Children’s Rights.
HRW called on the government to intensify efforts to prevent further abductions, prosecute perpetrators, and provide medical and psychosocial support to survivors.
JN/APA