The Mozambican government has confirmed a fresh wave of attacks, abductions and killings attributed to extremist groups in villages across the district of Muidumbe, in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, warning that the renewed insecurity could undermine agricultural production in the affected area.

Plácido Nerino Pereira, the Secretary of State for Cabo Delgado, said the new surge in violence risks disrupting farming activities, as several of the targeted zones had been earmarked for the cultivation of significant quantities of food.

Despite the latest incidents, Pereira said the overall security situation had improved compared with the previous two to three years, while acknowledging that the terrorist threat remains active.

The renewed violence is unfolding against a backdrop of continued population displacement across the province. At least 1,235 people, comprising 316 households, fled their areas of residence between 14 and 27 October due to fear of armed attacks across four districts of Cabo Delgado.

According to the latest report from the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix, the movements involved the districts of Mocímboa da Praia, Macomia, Muidumbe and Meluco.

Cabo Delgado, a province rich in natural gas, has been gripped by an armed insurgency since 2017. Over nine years, the conflict has killed more than 6,600 people and displaced over 1.3 million, according to data from international organisations.

The violence continues to pose a significant risk to regional stability and economic activity. Conflict-related incidents rose 10% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to the report Mozambique: The Cost of Inaction, released in September by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which recorded more than 400 conflict incidents in the first six months of the year.