| Battle of Mucojo | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theInsurgency in Cabo Delgado | ||||||||
 Mozambican military in Mucojo | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| Belligerents | ||||||||
 Mozambique Rwanda[1] | anti-Islamist militants | Islamic State Al-Shabaab | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | ||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | Ali (POW)[2] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | ||||||||
| 12+ civilians killed[3] | ||||||||
TheBattle of Mucojo was amilitary engagement between unidentified Anti-Islamist militants, Islamic State affiliates, and theMozambique Defence Armed Forces in the coastal town ofMucojo during theInsurgency in Cabo Delgado. It started on 22 April 2021 when anti-Islamist militants took control of Mucojo and nearby villages includingLumumua.[4] The militants started akilling spree near Mucojo after the Mozambique Army retook many villages near Mucojo.[5]
On 22 April 2021, militants took and occupied the town of Mucojo andPangane with the Mozambican military retaking the towns.[6] The village had been sieged by Mozambican andRwandan troops since May 2021[1]
On 28 August, militants of a unknown group raided and re-occupied the town of Mucojo. Reports came that the town and a nearby village were captured, with theMozambique military confirming the claim. The militants were identified asanti-Islamic as they beheaded an Islamic imam.[7] The militants continued to kill civilians and behead fisherman.[5] Members ofISIL andAl-Shabaab, attacked Mucojo and killed most of the anti-Islamic militants in Mucojo and the nearby town ofQuiterajo.[8] The town's mayor was later killed by the Islamist militants with him being beheaded.[5] The Mozambique army later retook the village, but it was recaptured by the Islamist militants when Al-Shabaab members retreated fromTanzania to Mucojo.[9] Militants later burned the village down, with 164 houses destroyed.[10]
On 9 September, militants raided and occupiedOluma, a village near Mucojo. The island ofVamize was also occupied by militants, off the shore of Mucojo.[11]
On 30 September and throughout 8 October, militants had fully occupied all of the villages nearby Mucojo.[12] On 26 October, militants in Mucojo started an offensive into southern Tanzania.[13] On 29 October, Mozambican and Rwandan forces captured all of Mucojo, ending the occupation.[2]
By 2022, unrest continued in Mucojo, with incidents of looting being reported.[14]