Five members of the Armed Forces of Defense of Mozambique, including the head of operations of the District Police Command in Erati, were killed on Thursday, December 25, in the village of Namapa, district headquarters of Erati, Nampula province.

The attack was carried out by Naparamas, a group of traditional warriors who claim to use magic as protection and combat weapons.

According to a DWThe Naparamas first stormed the District Police Command, which they vandalized and set on fire, before heading to the local penitentiary, where they released all the inmates. This was followed by acts of destruction and looting at the administrator's residence and in public buildings, including the courthouse and medicine depots.

"The village is unsafe. Those who managed to escape fled into the woods," said a civil servant on condition of anonymity.

According to local sources quoted by DW, the Naparamas have links to the demonstrations against the results of the general elections, recently validated by the Constitutional Council, which confirmed the victory of Daniel Chapo and Frelimo.

The attacks began on the night of December 24, when the group, coming from Namiroa, a town 70 kilometers from Namapa, entered the village. "They went to the Police Command, set fire to the building, released prisoners and vandalized the administrator's residence," described one resident.

(Photo DR)