Mozambique: Palma stable but fragile two years after jihadist insurgency
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Transcript
00:00 It was in this hotel that 180 people took refuge when Palma was captured by jihadist insurgents
00:05 in March 2021. Those stuck here were evacuated by the Mozambican government,
00:10 but not before seven people died in the terrorist attack. Though the spectre of the attack still
00:14 haunts the community and business has been slow, this hotel's manager remains optimistic.
00:18 "It is a traumatic experience, but I also think that because there's so much potential in this
00:24 area, people are quite eager to come back. And I think, you know, we've got the Rwandan military
00:30 here now who are helping the Mozambicans. So I think that that makes people feel a lot more secure."
00:35 2,800 Rwandan soldiers have been sent to the region. They operate discreetly,
00:40 only exiting their barracks to patrol or to get supplies. They're seldom seen in the city centre.
00:46 Today, Palma appears to be a normal town. Its market is well-stocked and the surrounding
00:50 villages have been gradually rebuilt. But locals can't forget that there remains a threat of
00:55 extremist violence, even if it's elsewhere in the province. "If the government said tomorrow
01:00 that the war in Mozambique was over, I would feel 100% safe. But that's not what we hear from our
01:04 leaders, our ministers." Humanitarian organisations would also like to relocate to Palma. The need is
01:10 great because the city has expanded to 75,000 inhabitants. "There must be 110,000 people in
01:18 Palma now. So you can see that not only are there a lot of people who have returned,
01:22 but there are also new internally displaced people coming from other districts."
01:26 If people are flocking to Palma, it is because the area is secure. As far as Afunji, the site
01:33 where TUTOL plans to restart its $20 billion gas project. But the centre and south of Cabo Dalgado
01:41 province are still very volatile. Authorities of the province in Pemba are still hoping to
01:46 see TUTOL restart the crucial energy plan soon. "The CEO of TUTOL has already been here.
01:55 He has been to Palma, he's been to Motsimba. He's already been here in the province.
02:03 His visit indicates that the plan to resume activities is underway."
02:08 Northern Mozambique is more stable than it was two years ago, but TUTOL has still not
02:15 announced plans for its return.
02:17 Thank you.