South African Among Abducted in Militant Raid on Mozambique Hunting Camp
A South African man was abducted with Mozambican workers when militants attacked a hunting camp in Niassa province, prompting evacuations and security patrols.
A 30-year-old South African man is among a group of people abducted during an insurgent attack on a hunting camp in northern Mozambique last week, according to South Africa's foreign ministry. The man was one of five South Africans working at the wildlife reserve when the attack occurred; the status of the other four citizens has not been clarified.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation said embassy officials are working with Mozambican authorities and monitoring the situation in Niassa Province. The attack is believed to have been carried out by militants linked to the Islamic State group, who have been waging an insurgency in neighboring Cabo Delgado province since 2017.
Mozambican police reported that at least 11 people, including children, were abducted in the attack on the town of Marangira. Police spokesperson Osvaldo Mahando said one person was killed, another was slightly injured, and vehicles were burned. Security forces are patrolling nearby forests.
Local reports indicate the attackers looted and burned a hunting camp, damaged a health center, a police post, and a telecommunications tower. The assault forced thousands to flee, with about 2,000 people initially given shelter. The U.S. Embassy in Mozambique acknowledged the attack and advised Americans to avoid the Niassa Special Reserve and areas near the Niassa-Cabo Delgado border.
Conflict analysts say the raid marks the first incursion into Niassa since May 2025. While likely an isolated operation rather than a sustained presence, it demonstrates the militants' mobility in rural areas. The attack on the camp also allowed fighters to seize supplies and strike an economic target, undermining confidence in government control of the region.
The broader insurgency has destabilized northern Mozambique, killing thousands and displacing more than one million people, according to the United Nations. Attacks have also occurred in neighboring Niassa and Nampula provinces.