Operations by Mozambican and Rwandan forces in Macomia district in recent weeks have placed pressure on Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) fighters who had been operating along the coast and in Catupa forest.
Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) was active in seven districts of Cabo Delgado province. ISM militants once again entered Mocímboa da Praia town, this time to take two of the children of Farido Selemane, the group’s military commander.
The RSF attacked civilians in Sudan after taking over El Fasher and Bara, unrest erupted in Cameroon over President Biya’s re-election, and al-Shabaab struck a prison in the Somali capital.
The Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) capture of El Fasher — following 18 months of siege — marks a significant turning point in Sudan’s civil war. El Fasher was the last stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and its ally in the Darfur region, the Darfur Joint Forces.
JNIM overran the Farabougou army base in Mali after a five-year siege, Boko Haram escalated attacks on the Cameroon-Nigeria border, and targeted violence in Darfur drove an increase in civilian deaths in August.
In this Q&A, ACLED’s experts discuss how Islamic State affiliates operate in Somalia, the Sahel, the Lake Chad basin, the Great Lakes region, and northern Mozambique, and how authorities are responding to this growing threat.
Defense Armed Forces of Mozambique (FADM) navy patrols remain active off Macomia, killing at least five civilians around 22 August. Despite these patrols, Islamic State Mozambique (ISM) remains present in coastal areas of the district.
As patrulhas da Marinha das Forças Armadas de Defesa de Moçambique (FADM) permanecem ativas ao largo de Macomia, tendo matado pelo menos cinco civis por volta de 22 de Agosto. Apesar dessas patrulhas, o Estado Islâmico de Moçambique (EIM) continua presente nas áreas costeiras do distrito.
In July, violence from Sudan’s war spilled into a bordering prefecture in CAR, and power struggles in the South Tigray zone of Ethiopia and the Hiiraan region of Somalia continued to affect security in the region.
The Defense Armed Forces of Mozambique (FADM) navy branch fired on fishers off the coast of Macomia on at least two occasions, killing at least six, bringing civilian killings by FADM at sea to 110 since 2020.
A marinha das Forças Armadas de Defesa de Moçambique (FADM) disparou contra pescadores ao largo da costa de Macomia em pelo menos duas ocasiões, matando pelo menos seis pessoas, elevando para 110 o número de civis mortos pelas FADM no mar desde 2020.
شهد شهر مايو 2025 تحولًا في ديناميكيات الأمن — تحولًا يهدد التوازن الهش للقوى ويؤثر على ما وراء العاصمة.
May 2025 marked a shift in security dynamics — one that threatens the fragile balance of power and is reverberating beyond the capital.
In this Q&A, ACLED Senior Analyst for West Africa Héni Nsaibia breaks down how the mercenary group has affected violence and politics in Mali.