1. The “Central African” Jihad: Islamism and Nation-Building in Mozambique and Uganda
- Author:
- James Barnett
- Publication Date:
- 10-2020
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Hudson Institute
- Abstract:
- The Islamic State (IS) has not scored many propaganda victories in the year since Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed by U.S. forces in Idlib, which makes the recent seizure of a Mozambican port by IS-linked jihadists all the more significant. On August 12, 2020, militants seized Mocímboa da Praia in the gas-rich Cabo Delgado province from a demoralized Mozambican army running low on ammunition. This assault on a city of 30,000—the militants’ third and most successful this year 1—marked a notable evolution in an insurgency that began three years ago and was initially characterized by crude and sporadic attacks on villages in the northern province. IS media channels were quick to produce triumphalist statements about the operation, which it attributed to soldiers in its newest affiliate, the Central Africa Province (Wilayat Wasat Ifriqiya or ISCAP).
- Topic:
- Non State Actors, Violent Extremism, History, and Islamism
- Political Geography:
- Uganda, Africa, Mozambique, and Central African Republic