Maputo — Macomia and Nangade are the only districts in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado that remain unsafe due to the presence of terrorists, according to the provincial police commander, Vicente Chicote, cited in Tuesday's issue of the independent daily "O Pais".

"The fight against terrorism continues", he said. "We are battling against the last holdouts of the enemy, which are currently in Macomia district and a small circle on the outskirts of Nangade".

In addition to armed combat against the jihadists, he added, the police are trying to eliminate the terrorists' sources of food.

"Recently, the basic food of the terrorists is cassava which they manage to obtain from abandoned fields around the villages of Quinto Congresso, Nova Zambezia, Chai and elsewhere in the interior", said Chicote. "We are making every effort to suffocate the group with hunger. We are also working to cut off their sources of information and to limit their escape to other parts of the province".

People are now returning to Mocimboa da Praia district, which was once entirely occupied by the terrorists. Mozambican and Rwandan forces drove the jihadists out of Mocimboa da Prais town last August, and people who had fled from the terrorists are beginning to come back.

"Last week", said Chicote, "we received more than 1,500 people who left the accommodation centres and came to Auasse (in Mocimboa da Praia) and we also received a group who left Palma for Mocimboa da Praia town".

But despite Chicote's optimism, reports are continuing to reach Maputo of terrorist activities elsewhere in Cabo Delgado. Thus, according to the independent newsheet "Carta de Mocambique", a group of more than ten terrorists attacked the Olumbe administrative post, in Palma district, last Friday.

The paper's sources say that nobody died in the attack and Rwandan forces set off in pursuit of the terrorists as they withdrew from the village. Life in Palma town continued normally, despite news of this raid.