Thread by @WholePicture_

#Thread

Amnesty International charges rebel groups, security forces and a South African military company with war crimes in Mozambique.
nzz.ch/international/…

The situation is particularly delicate in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, where large deposits of natural gas have been found.

In the natural gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado in the north of the country, Islamist rebels have been carrying out brutal attacks since 2017. They killed civilians and burned villages, as Amnesty describes.

However, while persecuting the rebel group, the Mozambican army and police also committed atrocities such as extrajudicial executions, rape and torture of civilians.

According to Amnesty, Mozambique's government hired the military company Dyck Advisory Group (DAG) to fight the rebels. The mercenary troops fired machine guns from helicopters and threw hand grenades indiscriminately into crowds, Amnesty said.

They also shot at hospitals, schools and residential buildings.

According to experts, the rebellion has its roots in the grievances and complaints of residents of the region, which is very poor and has been neglected by the government for years.

However, it is increasingly developing into an Islamist group with connections to the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS).

The situation in Cabo Delgado is particularly delicate because a large amount of natural gas has been found there. Among others, the French oil company Total is involved in the gas project.