Muslim leader beheaded in Namuno; 18 rebels slain in battle in Cabo Delgado

In a further assault on the town of Murrameia, in the neighborhood of Namuno, south of Cabo Delgado, on Saturday, 29, a Muslim leader and his wife were slaughtered. Additionally, Christian churches and schools were burned down.

The locals claim they were informed about the possibility of an attack on Mozambican and international forces that are collaborating in Cabo Delgado to combat terrorism, but there was not enough time to prevent the incident.

On Saturday afternoon, 29, the terrorist organization stormed the community and set fire to schools and places of worship before kidnapping and beheading the local chief and his wife. A third person was shot and died shortly.

"People were having a funeral when suddenly the al-shaabab (local name for the insurgents) emerged" close to the village, sending some fleeing in a panic and others fleeing toward a position of government forces, alerting them to the likelihood of the attack.

18 insurgents killed

It should be noted that on Wednesday, the 26th, the armed group killed one person and set fire to a Christian church and several houses in the Chiure district.

Earlier, on Sunday, the 22nd, the armed group attacked the main village of Macomia, killing seven people.

It should be mentioned that the armed group attacked the Chiure neighborhood on Wednesday, 26th, killing one person while torching a Christian church and several homes.

Seven people were killed when the armed group invaded the town of Macomia on Sunday, October 22.

However, during a clash with Mozambican authorities on Wednesday, 26, in the Cabo Delgado district of Nangade, at least 18 terrorists perished.

According to the sources, the group operates many sub-bases and periodic attacks on communities and vehicles on the routes in the area of the conflict.

The operation, which resulted in the rebels' deaths, was concentrated on a region where the band, which has been attacking Cabo Delgado towns and villages for five years, had recently made inroads.

However, in a confrontation with Mozambican forces, on Wednesday, 26 October, at least 18 terrorists died, in the district of Nangade, in the north of Cabo Delgado,  sources linked to the incident assert.

In the region of the confrontation, the sources said, the group sporadically attacks villages and vehicles on the roads and maintains several sub-bases.

The operation, which resulted in the death of the insurgents, focused on an area where recent incursions had been recorded by the group, which has been attacking towns and villages in Cabo Delgado for half a decade.

Pan African Parliament first ordinary session: Strengthening nutritional resilience and food security on the African continent:

This Tuesday, the Pan-African Parliament discussed, among other issues, nutrition and food security on the African continent.

Yesterday, at the official opening of the first ordinary session of the sixth legislature, remarks focused on the need to find answers to Africa's food crisis, which has been exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic.

Prior to the start of the pandemic, research indicated that more than 200 million Africans were malnourished.

This Tuesday also sees discussions about the state of peace and security in Africa as well as the adoption of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance.

Conflicts, economic and environmental disasters are all factors contributing to Africa's high malnutrition rate.

According to deputy Aires Aly, president of the national group at the Pan-African parliament, Mozambique prioritizes food and nutritional security in relation to human capital.

Mozambique, he added, continues to work towards achieving the goals defined for the year of nutrition.

Also, this Tuesday, the situation of peace and security in Africa and the implementation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance will be discussed.

Mozambique: Prime rate rises to 20.6%

According to the Mozambican Association of Banks, the country's reference interest rate ('prime rate') for loan operations has risen the most since March 2021, climbing from 20.6% to 22.5%., 

The Bank of Mozambique rate calculated monthly by the AMB and the  (BM) is based on a single index (calculated by the central bank), which rose to 17.2%, and a cost premium of 5.3%, (set by the AMB ), which remains the same.

This is the third rise in 2022: in May the 'prime rate' had risen 50 basis points and in June, it rose 150.

To find a rise that is steeper than it is right now, go back to March 2021..

The depreciation of the metical at the time, as well as the dangers to the economy related with covid-19, cyclones, and armed unrest, necessitated a 230 basis point increase.

Increases in the 'prime rate' have been associated with the rise in the monetary policy interest rate (MIMO rate, which influences the formula for calculating the 'prime rate') by the central bank, in order to control inflation.

Year-on-year inflation was 12.01% in September, a slight slowdown of 0.09 percentage points from 12.1% in August, so slight that it is more equivalent to saying that prices have stagnated.

Food, non-alcoholic beverages, and transportation have been the most expensive commodities and services in Mozambique.

The central bank and the AMB decided in 2017 to establish the 'prime rate' in order to eliminate the proliferation of reference rates in the cost of money.

It was introduced at 27.75% at the time and has dropped 525 basis points since then.

According to the promoters, the goal is for all credit operations to be based on a single rate "plus a spread that will be added or deducted from the 'prime rate' through risk analysis."

SUDAN: WFP Welcomes SEK 26 million from the Swedish Government to support the PostHarvest Loss (PHL) Programme [EN/AR]

Khartoum – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Sudan has welcomed a contribution of SEK 26 million (US$ 2.3 Million) from the Swedish Government in support of WFP’s Post-Harvest Loss (PHL) Programme, which will be integrated with the Productive Safety Net (PSN), (a programme that received funding from the Swedish Government in 2019-2022). These funds will support advancing the capacity of over 34,000 smallholder farmers across the country through training on post-harvest handling methods and the use of hermetic storage equipment to increase food availability at the household level.

“In a year where more than a third of Sudanese people face various forms of food insecurity, any loss or waste in the food system is simply unacceptable. The contribution by the Swedish Government will go a long way in ensuring we are able to improve food security, reduce postharvest loss and help preserve greater quantity and better-quality food to meet the needs of the people of Sudan,” said Eddie Rowe, WFP’s Representative and Country Director in Sudan.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, over 30 percent of food — the equivalent of approximately US$4 billion — is lost annually in sub-Saharan Africa because of poor harvesting. Thanks to support from donors and partners, WFP is supporting smallholder farmers to acquire skills and knowledge on how to safely process and store their produce post-harvest. This includes equipping them with simple but effective hermetic storage equipment, and in collaboration with IFAD, providing them with fortified seeds to enhance production and promote market access. Since the start of the programme, participating farmers have been able to reduce post-harvest losses by up to 98%.

“We are pleased to continue our support to Sudanese smallholder farmers through our partner WFP. With the additional funds of 26 million Swedish kronor, WFP can further scale up the work to reduce Post Harvest Losses and increase food security in Sudan. Sweden values its strong partnership with WFP on these issues and we look forward to continued close cooperation.” H.E Ms. Signe Burgstaller, Ambassador of Sweden in Sudan.

The contribution from the Swedish government will be used to scale up ongoing training for farmers on preventing post-harvest losses, purchasing, and distributing an additional 104,550 hermetic bags and 17,425 manuals, and building warehouses in communities through the Productive Safety Nets (PSN) modality.

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

Source WFP 

Nampula. Disputes between two commercialization firms may result in the layoff of around 3,000 employees.

The business dispute between two trading and export companies in Nampula could result in the layoff of about three thousand agricultural workers.

The Royal Group claims that ETG Marketing obstructed the sale of around 30,000 tons of pigeon peas and soybeans to a customer in the Republic of India by allegedly giving incorrect information regarding the product's origin and quality.

The scenario compelled Mombai's port and customs authorities to forbid the entry of the ship carrying the thirty thousand tons of goods, which was where they had to be unloaded and sold.

The Royal Group, feeling deluded, filed a lawsuit against ETG Marketing, which resulted in the preventive seizure of all assets, including  accounts cancellation and suspension of  business  operations .

The Mocmboa da Praia neighborhood in Cabo Delgado saw a return of almost 35,000 inhabitants.

Following terrorist attacks, more than 35,000 residents of the Mocmboa da Praia neighborhood in Cabo Delgado have already willingly returned to their homes.

The improvement in security conditions, according to the district administrator of Mocmboa da Praia, is encouraging families to return.

According to Sérgio Cipriano, a significant portion of the formerly abandoned communities are already starting to be occupied.

He cited the example of the populace return to the Mbau administrative post and other communities with more than eight administrative posts in the Mocmboa da Praia district's central and northern regions.

Mozambique:Starts a national moratorium on the harvest of surface shrimp and mangrove crab

In all of the nation's coastal provinces, the period of the fishing ban for surface shrimp and mangrove crab starts this Tuesday.

The strategy, according to the Ministry of the Sea, Inland Waters, and Fisheries, aims to ensure that species and stocks will be replaced in time for the upcoming fishing season.

Lidia Cardoso, the minister of the sea, inland waters, and fisheries, promises that the government will keep looking for ways to stop illegal fishing in the nation.

Lidia Cardoso noted this Monday evening on the program Cartas na Mesa on Rádio Moçambique that the nation has the assistance of international partners in this quest for solutions. (RM)