In recent weeks, the northern districts of the Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado have experienced moments of great tension as the fight against insurgents has increased with the Defense and Security Forces of Mozambique and Rwanda, who are already celebrating with speeches considered triumphalist.

On Wednesday, 4, according to VOA portal, the military authorities announced the recovery of Awasse, in Mocímboa da Praia, which had been in the hands of insurgents since 2020.

During this period, the group associated with the Islamic State, according to the authorities, vandalized, among others, the electricity substation and telecommunications infrastructure.

While visiting the site, the Mozambican police chief said that "to conquer this substation is to conquer our economy, to contribute to the viability of the natural gas project, and to allow access to all districts and administrative posts in the northern region of Cabo Delgado province.

"And in case the population returns," Bernardino Rafael said, it will "find the communication and energy for the development of the region, according to the plans that the Government has."

The said recovery, according to the authorities, was thanks to the joint action of the Mozambican and Rwandan forces, who announced at least 70 casualties among the insurgents, and presented military equipment confiscated from them.

In addition to the Rwandan force, the first to arrive in Cabo Delgado, Angolan, South African, Tswanan, and Zimbabwean military personnel and strategists are on the ground.

In terms of numbers, South Africa has the largest presence - about 1,500 troops - followed by Rwanda, which has pledged 1,000 men.

Heavy military equipment was also seen in transit to the region.

Back to earth

Some displaced people interviewed by VOA see the military action as a sign of the possibility of returning to normality, since where they live the conditions are not the best and support is scarce.

"The government must make this effort to end this situation. Even better that these troops are coming in," says Abdul Momade, in the Namicopo area of Nampula city.

Momade is one of the survivors of the insurgent attack that resulted in the occupation of Mocímboa da Praia and its port in 2020.

Another survivor, Abubacar, who prefers to omit his last name, asks the military to "make efforts to subdue the evildoers.

The fisherman, at least 60 years old, wants to work again to feed his 18 dependents.

"Here in Namicopo, we spent three months without receiving support, housing and food," he says.

Like Momade and Abubacar, Sifa Mauala fled Mocímboa da Praia with only the bare essentials and has no idea of the whereabouts of his family and friends.

"We want to return home and live free on our land. Here, we go through difficulties and live on favors," says the young woman, whose children have seen their studies discontinued.

Danger of triumphalism

In the face of these triumphalist statements and speeches, which enunciate the rebirth of hope, human rights advocates warn caution and demand that the authorities ensure the protection of displaced people so that their dreams of returning to normal do not turn into nightmares.

Greater concern, say many activists, has to do with the heavy military presence.

"These are troops from different nations, different cultures (and) different operating codes. It's more of a challenge for Mozambique to coordinate that. It's more militarization, which can fuel the conflict with consequences for local communities, for humanitarian situations and human rights abuses," Adriano Nuvunga, head of the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), told VOA.

Zenaida Machado, a Mozambican researcher for Human Rights Watch (HRW), emphasizes that when a country receives foreign military aid, "it is necessary to guarantee the safety of civilians and that they can flee from war zones, that the military respects their civil rights, and that humanitarian aid reaches where they are.

On the other hand, and based on abuses HRW has documented in Cabo Delgado, Machado says the military must be able "as quickly as possible" to know how to distinguish insurgents from civilians to avoid human rights abuse."

As for the triumphalism of the authorities and their military partners, sociologist Moisés Mabunda opines that the authorities should be cautious "because since these are the first clashes, we have to see what's next."

In addition to the more than 800,000 internally displaced people, terrorism in Cabo Delgado, according to the Conflict Registration Project, has caused the death of at least 3,000 people in about four years.