The Mozambican government has resumed military escorts along the most dangerous stretch of National Highway 380 in Cabo Delgado province following threats by local businesses to suspend operations due to escalating terrorist attacks.
According to reports monitored here on Friday, provincial governor Valige Tuabo announced the measure during a crisis meeting in Mueda held with government officials, security forces and business representatives.
The decision comes after a formal warning from the Mueda district delegation of the Confederation of Business Associations, which said companies would suspend use of the highway starting 21 July unless security was restored.
The affected stretch of road – between Macomia and the Ouasse crossroads – has been the scene of repeated ambushes by insurgents linked to a violent Islamist insurgency that has plagued Cabo Delgado since 2017.
In recent attacks, armed groups have blocked the highway, abducted drivers and passengers and demanded ransoms.
Victims whose families or employers failed to pay have reportedly been killed and their vehicles set ablaze.
Business owners at the Mueda meeting accused the government of failing to protect commercial routes, citing ransom payments as high as 350,000 meticais (about $5,500) per vehicle.
In response, Tuabo said military escorts along the Macomia-Ouasse road would resume on 23 July and would continue “until the situation is deemed to have returned to normal.”
Cabo Delgado has been the epicentre of a brutal insurgency led by Islamist militants affiliated with the Islamic State group.
The violence has displaced over a million people and disrupted major economic activities, including natural gas projects and agriculture.
While a regional military intervention in 2021 helped regain control of some areas, sporadic attacks persist – particularly in remote districts with limited government presence.
JN/APA