UCDP

General information

Part of Conflict: Mozambique: Islamic State

Date of first stated goals of incompatibility: 2018-08-22
Comment on date of first stated goal of incompatibility: When the caliphate was proclaimed, IS stated: "The legality of all emirates, groups, states and organisations becomes null by the expansion of the khilafah's [caliphate's] authority and arrival of its troops to their areas.” Indications of a potential IS presence in Mozambique first came May 2018, when a picture circulated showing presumed members of Ansar al-Sunnah holding an IS-flag and a statement that they would soon pledge allegiance to IS leader al-Baghdadi, though no public pledge has been made since. Baghdadi soon thereafter referenced the existence of a “wilayah” (province) called Central Africa Province (ISCAP), which supposedly included Mozambique and DR Congo, on 22 August 2018. This marks the first stated goal of establishing an Islamic State in Central Africa.

The first claim of activity from ISCAP did not come until 18 April 2019, when IS-linked Amaq News Agency said ISCAP militants had killed soldiers in DR Congo. This was followed by pro-IS media publishing photos purportedly showing militants in Mozambique pledging allegiance to IS. On June 4, the first ISCAP claim was released for Mozambique, in which it claimed that “the soldiers of the Caliphate were able to repulse an attack by the Crusader Mozambican army” in Mocimboa da Praia district of Cabo Delgado province.

This was followed by an IS propaganda outlet publishing a video which purportedly showed Ansar al-Sunnah pledging allegiance to IS on 24 July 2019. This date has been used as the start date on which Ansar al-Sunnah joined IS and thus becoming part of the Mozambique: Islamic State conflict. With that, what had previously been Ansar al-Sunnah became integrated into the Islamic State and the former group was rendered obsolete. The merger furthermore meant that what had earlier been Ansar al-Sunnah switched its goals to the more far-reaching one stated by al-Baghdadi: the creation of a global Islamic State.

Date of first use of armed force: 2019-06-02
Comment on date of first use of armed force: On 4 June 2019 Is claimed to have repulsed and attack by the Mozambican army on a village it named Mitopy. This incidence reportedly correspond to an army attack in the area on 2 June, in which the government attempted to clear out entrenched militants near Ntoto.
First Battle Related Death: 2019-06-02
Comment on First Battle Related Death: On 4 June 2019 Is claimed to have repulsed and attack by the Mozambican army on a village it named Mitopy. This incidence reportedly correspond to an army attack in the area on 2 June, in which the government attempted to clear out entrenched militants near Ntoto. The army reportedly suffered several casualties.

Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 2019-08-07
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: On 16 November 2019 an attack claiméd by IS on the village of Miangalewa and the adjacent army base in Primiero de Maio killed 8-9 people, including six soldiers.

Conflict issues