Ansar al-Sunna (Mozambique)
Ansar al-Sunna, al-Shabaab, Ahlu al-Sunna, and Swahili Sunna, is an Islamist militant group active in Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique. The group has attacked security forces and civilians in an attempt to establish an Islamic state in the area.
The group was reportedly formed in Cabo Delgado by followers of the radical Kenyan cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed who resettled in Mozambique following his death in 2012. The group became increasingly violent in 2017, carrying out attacks on government and civilian targets. Funding for the group is raised from illegal smuggling, religious networks, and people-traffickers, which the group uses to send recruits to Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia for military and ideological training.
Members of Ansar al-Sunna are reportedly mostly Mozambicans from the Mocimboa da Praia, Palma and Macomia districts, but also include foreign nationals from Tanzania and Somalia. Portuguese, Kimwane and Swahili are all reportedly spoken by the group's members. The group actively recruits young Mozambicans who are resentful of the government due to high unemployment and lack of economic opportunities.
