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Dear Friend,
Mozambique Bishop Warns Jihadists Are Working to Establish a Caliphate in Northern Province
Religion has become a dividing factor in an area where Christians and Muslims once lived in harmony, Catholic leader reports
Bishop António Juliasse of Pemba, in the northern part of Mozambique, warned that jihadist insurgents are openly declaring their ambition to establish a caliphate modeled on the Islamic State. In a message sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Juliasse said: “The signs are all there. They speak openly of a caliphate. When they find people, when they kidnap victims, that is what they say — that they are working for a caliphate.”
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Key Facts at a Glance |
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Location: Cabo Delgado province, northern Mozambique
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Insurgency began: October 2017
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Deaths caused by conflict: over 6,300
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Displaced persons: more than 1 million
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Catholics murdered: over 300, many by decapitation
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Church buildings destroyed: at least 117, including chapels and historic churches
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Source: Bishop António Juliasse of Pemba, in a communication to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)
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Background on the Situation
Jihadist attacks in Cabo Delgado province of northern Mozambique began in 2017 and have steadily escalated in both scale and sectarian character. What began as assaults on military and government installations has evolved into a campaign with an explicitly anti-Christian dimension in this region, where Muslims have a slight majority.
Over 300 Catholics have been killed — many by decapitation — and at least 117 Church buildings have been razed or destroyed. Among the most recent losses is the St. Louis of Montfort mission church, a large historic structure burned to the ground at the end of April. The violence has also generated a severe humanitarian crisis: more than a million people have been displaced, and Mozambique, already among the world’s poorest nations, has been pushed deeper into instability. |
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Key Quotes
Bishop António Juliasse of Pemba
On the jihadists’ stated objective: |
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“The signs are all there. They speak openly of a caliphate. When they find people, when they kidnap victims. That is what they say — that they are working for a caliphate.”
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On the corrosive effect of hate speech on interfaith relations:
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“What worries me is the hate speech which accompanies all the violence. For a long time, religion was one of the aspects that made coexistence easier, but now it is becoming an obstacle, it is beginning to divide. In the villages in Cabo Delgado, Christians used to attend Muslim funerals and vice versa, but now this is beginning to be questioned, and this is not because of the Christians.”
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On the path to peace: |
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“I don’t believe that the military option is the only solution. We need to find different paths, including one that Mozambique is already familiar with, the path of dialogue. The people of Mozambique need to dialogue so that this war can end.” |
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Why This Matters Now
The bishop’s warning arrives at a critical moment. Nine years into the insurgency, longstanding bonds of interfaith coexistence — neighbors living peaceably across religious lines — are being deliberately eroded by jihadist rhetoric and targeted atrocities.
The explicit language of a “caliphate” signals an ideological ambition that transcends local grievances and mirrors the territorial and theocratic aspirations seen in other jihadist movements globally. If unchecked, this radicalization of the conflict could have consequences beyond Mozambique’s borders.
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Mass celebrated in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique. Photo: Aid to the Church in Need |
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About Aid to the Church in Need
Aid to the Church in Need is a pontifical foundation of the Catholic Church, operating under the direct guidance of the Holy See. Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, ACN provides pastoral and humanitarian assistance to suffering and persecuted Christians in more than 150 countries. Each year, ACN funds thousands of projects — supporting priests, religious sisters, seminarians, and lay faithful in regions marked by poverty, conflict and religious persecution. ACN-USA is headquartered in New York. For more information, visit www.churchinneed.org.
ACN’s Work in Mozambique
ACN has been supporting the Church in Mozambique in its efforts to face up to the challenge. The pontifical charity has provided emergency aid but also psychological and social support and has helped rebuild damaged infrastructure.
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Read the full story:
Jihadists trying to establish a caliphate in northern Mozambique, says bishop |
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For more information, please contact:
John Burger
Communications Consultant
Aid to the Church in Need-USA
T: 718-609.0934 Ext: 223
E: johnburger@acnusa.org |
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