At least one person has been killed and more than 2,000 displaced following an insurgent attack on the Marangira Coutada wildlife concession in Niassa province, which destroyed multiple facilities including a tourism camp associated with former football coach Carlos Queiroz.
According to Portuguese news agency Lusa, the attack targeted the camp operated by Mozambique Wild Adventures (MWA), which was looted, burned, and vandalised by insurgents. Vehicles, residential structures, a health centre, and a police post were also set on fire. Niassa province Secretary of State Silva Livone said more than 2,000 people are currently sheltering at a reception centre, where they are receiving assistance.
The official confirmed that, despite the scale of the incursion, only one fatality had been recorded. "They left us with substantial material damage, relatively few human casualties, but we are still on the ground working," he said. According to Livone, the attackers are believed to have originated from the neighbouring province of Cabo Delgado, where an armed insurgency has been active since 2017.
Authorities believe the raid was intended to bolster the logistical capacity of the armed groups through the seizure of food, vehicles, and other supplies. "From the modus operandi, from the behaviour they displayed, it literally led us to the conclusion that the terrorists came looking to reinforce their logistical base in terms of provisions," the official explained.
Environmental organisation Mozambique Bio, citing local sources, estimates that the destruction of the camp resulted in the loss of an investment valued at approximately US$3.5 million, built up over more than a decade. The government awarded the concession for the area in which the tourism operation is based in 2014.
Three foreign tourists were present at the camp at the time of the attack. All are reported to be safe, although they lost personal documents and cash during the raid. Approximately 15 camp workers are also said to have fled the premises and sought refuge in the surrounding bush.
The attack in Niassa heightens concerns about the spread of the insurgency to other northern provinces. Since 2025, sporadic incursions have been recorded in both Niassa and Nampula.
Since October 2017, the armed insurgency in Cabo Delgado has claimed more than 6,600 lives and displaced over 1.2 million people, according to international organisations. Recent data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs show that armed violence displaced 1,401 people in August alone, while conflict incidents rose 10% in the first half of the year compared with the same period in the previous year.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/05/desenvolvimento-2/niassa-ataque-insurgente-destroi-investimento-turistico-de-35-m-e-desloca-2-mil-pessoas/
