This archive report was first published on 7 December 2021.
Published on December 7, 2021, Human Rights Watch (HRW) revealed that over 600 women and girls have been abducted and enslaved in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado province by an armed group linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) since 2018.
Since October 2017, Al-Shabab rebels have carried out numerous attacks in the region, resulting in the deaths of more than 2,500 people and the destruction of extensive civilian property and infrastructure, including schools and health centers.
According to HRW, the violence has led to the displacement of over 800,000 people since April 2020, with many still missing after being abducted by the armed group.
HRW interviewed 37 individuals, including former abductees, their relatives, security sources, and government officials, and monitored media reports between August 2019 and October 2021.
The group, known locally as Al Sunnah wa Jama'ah (ASWJ) and Al-Shabab (or mashababos), has been accused of forcing younger, healthy-looking, and lighter-skinned women and girls to 'marry' their fighters, who enslave and sexually abuse them.
Others have been sold to foreign fighters for between $600 to $1,800, while abducted foreign women and girls have been released after their families paid ransom.
HRW's Africa director, Mausi Segun, called for the immediate release of every woman and girl in captivity, stating that Al Shabab's leaders should take all necessary steps to prevent rape and sexual abuse by their fighters.
