Seven people were killed when insurgents attacked Filipe Nyusi (30 de Junho) neighbourhood in Mocimboa da Praia town Sunday night (7 September). This is the first attack in the district capital since insurgents were expelled by Rwandan forces in 2021. (Zumbo FM 8 Sept, AIM 10 Sept, MediaFax 10 Sept, Focus Group 10 Sept).

Insurgents went to two specific houses and called out the victims by name, and killed them. Two are said to be police. The attack was confirmed by district administrator Sergio Cipriano, who said the attack reawakened feelings of terror, panic and fear.

Initially the town had been seen as secure and the port and air strip were rebuilt and Mocimboa da Praia, to the south of the Afungi gas project zone, and Palma town, north of Afungi, were seen as transport and contractor bases for the project. The Rwandans said they could keep insurgents out of Palma and Mocimboa da Praia districts. But they failed, and there have been regular attacks, this time inside the district capital. Recently gas company TotalEnergies said it would only resume gas development if it turned the Afungi zone into a fortress with no land access.

Insurgents have free movement in large areas of Cabo Delgado and the war has intensified during the past two months, with little response from government forces. The map from Focus Group shows insurgent activity in the single week to 3 September, with red the most intense insurgent presence. Only the six light green districts had no insurgent action in that week.

Borges Nhamirre, a research consultant at the Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies, told a 25 August ISS seminar that training and leadership changes of the army and police are not making any difference, and corruption and violence against civilians continue. His view is that the insurgents "will not be defeated in the next 10 years".