In a harrowing reminder that peace remains elusive in parts of northern Mozambique, over 120 children have reportedly been abducted by insurgents linked to extremist groups in the Cabo Delgado province. The news, confirmed by international rights organizations and echoed by regional sources, marks one of the largest documented mass child kidnappings in the region in recent years — and it has sent ripples of shock, fear, and fury across both local communities and the broader international community.
This grim development comes as insurgents in Cabo Delgado — a region rich in natural gas yet impoverished in security — intensify their guerrilla campaign. Analysts and human rights experts say these abductions are part of a broader strategy to destabilize the region, conscript young boys into militant ranks, and coerce young girls into forced marriages or sexual servitude. The abducted children, most of whom are believed to be under the age of 15, were taken from villages that were raided during night-time attacks over the past two weeks.
The government has acknowledged the reports and says security operations are underway. But these statements have done little to reassure terrified families or calm growing criticism about the state’s failure to secure northern territories, despite heavy foreign investment in Mozambique’s offshore energy sector. More than five years into this conflict, Cabo Delgado remains a gaping wound in the country’s national security.
The insurgency, originally tied to a homegrown Islamist movement that morphed into what some analysts describe as a local franchise of the Islamic State, has become increasingly brutal. The militants are known for their scorched-earth tactics, including beheadings, village burnings, and now — with increasing frequency — the targeting of children.
What makes the abduction of children so alarming is the long-term trauma it inflicts not only on the victims and their families, but on the entire fabric of society. Children abducted at such a young age are often forced into lives of servitude, indoctrination, and violence. Many are given little choice but to fight for their captors or risk death. For young girls, the fate is often worse — many are subjected to sexual violence, forced pregnancies, and a life in captivity that is almost impossible to escape from.
International organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have issued urgent appeals for coordinated action. While they commend the Mozambican government for acknowledging the incident, they stress that more must be done — from enhanced intelligence operations to greater protection of civilian populations and more robust humanitarian interventions.
Meanwhile, the African Union and regional bodies such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have yet to issue strong statements. While SADC troops are present in northern Mozambique in a limited peacekeeping capacity, their presence has so far failed to significantly degrade the capabilities of the insurgents, who are reportedly regrouping in rural and forested areas.
The abductions also cast a shadow over the prospects of economic development in the region. Cabo Delgado is home to one of Africa’s largest untapped liquefied natural gas reserves. Multinational energy giants like TotalEnergies had temporarily halted operations due to security concerns but have expressed interest in resuming them under improved conditions. That optimism now seems tragically misplaced, with a region still caught in a conflict where even children are considered fair game.
Local aid workers on the ground describe an atmosphere of terror and despair. In one instance, a teacher who survived a raid by fleeing into the bush described the horror of seeing children dragged away by gunmen. “They were just children,” he said, trembling. “What kind of war is this, where babies are soldiers and daughters are wives of killers?”
Despite such reports, the global response remains muted. There is outrage, yes, but no substantial shift in strategy from the international actors involved in the region. The United Nations has called for investigations and support for displaced persons — of which there are already over a million in northern Mozambique — but experts argue that such actions, while necessary, fall far short of addressing the root cause: insecurity and weak governance in marginalized regions.
As the story develops, what remains clear is that these children — whose whereabouts are still unknown — are not just numbers or statistics. They are the walking proof that Cabo Delgado’s crisis is not a distant skirmish, but a human tragedy that demands immediate and sustained attention. The children stolen from their homes are the loudest, if voiceless, cry for a continent and a world too often looking the other way.
