Mozambique rebels allegedly abduct SA mechanic

The Department of International Relations & Co-operation (Dirco) says information from SA’s embassy in Maputo indicates five South Africans were affected by the insurgent attack in Mozambique on Thursday, according to TimesLIVE. They were workers employed for different services. A hunting lodge and the town of Marangira were raided by rebels believed to be linked to an Islamic State affiliate group. The lodge is in a buffer zone within the Niassa Special Reserve on the border of Niassa and Cabo Delgado provinces. An SA mechanic is among the three civilians from the lodge reported to have been taken hostage by the group after the lodge was plundered and burnt down. Residents from the town were also taken hostage, according to preliminary information emerging from the region. Dirco spokesperson Nelson Kgwete said the embassy has not yet received any verified information on the South African believed to have been abducted, but officials are working with Mozambican authorities and are monitoring developments in the Niassa province.

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