Click to see full-size image
Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado has been plagued by ISIS for years.
In recent months, and ramping up in recent weeks especially, attacks by the terrorist groups in the areas near Total’s massive gas project became regular.
Uncontained ISIS now is taking on the Mozambican army and seizes entire towns. It threatens the French giant’s project that is worth $20 billion; and all the projects in the region are collectively worth nearly $60 billion.
Prior to the large-scale attacks, there was little talk of Mozambique’s chaotic north.
NGOs were frequently calling for international assistance to the locals. Reports of beheaded soldiers, women and even children were commonplace.
Click to see full-size image
Most recently, on March 24th, another offensive began by ISIS – it attacked the town of Palma, which is the nearest to the Total project. About 60 people were killed. 7 foreigners were among the victims. Approximately 180 people, including Total’s workers, were trapped in a hotel in Palma. After a three-day siege the people were evacuated.
After a few more days of fighting, ISIS announced that it had captured the town. This was accompanied by gruesome photographs of devastation, and corpses of beheaded men, women and children on the streets.
This is not uncommon for the region, but it has become rather mainstream after the massive gas projects were jeopardized. After all, the insurgency has been happening since 2017, and the United States designated the militants as “terrorist” only on March 11th, 2021.
Total’s project is halted, and when such massive amounts of money are under threat, the “international community” mobilizes itself immediately.
The United States announced that it would sent green berets to help train the Mozambican Army.
The UK claimed it was sending its Special Air Service forces to search for a British man who disappeared in Cabo Delgado.
Portugal is going to deploy soldiers at the beginning of April in Mozambique where they will train local troops.
The Mozambican army and its foreign support will need to exert great effort to expel ISIS and restart Total’s project, but when it comes down to billions, it is likely that nothing is impossible.
Military situation in the area of Lake Chad on March 15. Click to see full-size image
At the same time, on the other side of the African continent, China is beginning a massive oil project in Benin.
The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which is extracting a valuable resource in Agadema, Niger, is reportedly planning to build a pipeline through Benin in order to avoid passing through unsecured areas in Nigeria, Chad or Cameroon.
The Lake Chad area is infested by Boko Haram, but also by ISWAP. Both groups are fighting for dominance against each other, and against any local authority in the region.
Whether China’s project would be plagued by the same problems that any other foreign, or local, project needs to deal with will become apparent with time. It is, furthermore, obvious that the “international community” will not come to Beijing’s rescue if the project is endangered.
It is, however, an indisputable fact that the terrorist hotspots that are the Sahel, Lake Chad, as well as Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado go unnoticed until they impede a massive Western project, or another type of investment.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
Sounds entirely like France’s problem. Why the fuck are any American soldiers there at all? We are the worst on earth, bar none, at counterinsurgency and anti-terrorism. FFS, look at our string of recent victories… Everywhere we go, the locals end up hating us more than they hate ISIS. ‘Protecting U.S. interests’ is the best recruiting tool ISIS has. Maybe we should stop?
Those french cement factories were supplying the concrete for the ISIS bunkers in Syria. So ISIS=French=Nato=US-Africom – the US is controlling and supplying ISIS, it’s their tool…
The US is sending some Special Menu Forces, I meant Green Berets. Remember, they never lose. Haven’t you ever seen that Vietnam War movie “The Green Berets” with John Wayne. That is proof positive that the US is the best of the best – “Silver wings upon their chests, these are men, America’s best…100 men will test today, but only three win the green beret, back at home, a young wife waits, her Green Beret has met his fate, he has died for those oppressed, leaving her his last request, put silver wings on my son’s chest, make him one of America’s best, he”ll be a man and test one day, have him win the green beret.” (Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler – 1965) (Please note that the previous few lines of gibberish is certified, brain-damaged, mentally degenerate, Kosher bull excrement).
Effects of believing in sky book aka quran
The goal of Westerners, old colonialists as new colonialists, is to avoid in every way possible, isis including, the emancipation of Africa, this was perhaps the main reason for elimination of Gaddafi, and this is also the reason to combat Chinese and Russian investments on the continent, Africa must be maintained at an optimal level of sub development to ensure that Westerners enjoy free of its enormous resources, this is Western Humanitarian and Democratic Philosophy about Africa, and it is Always have been.