Mozambique urges 'knives and machetes' war on jihadists

The northern Cabo Delgado province has recently been invaded by jihadists, and the chief of the Mozambican police has urged the locals to defend themselves.

Bernardino Rafael urged the locals he spoke with to safeguard the town by using all the tools at their disposal and being more vigilant.

"Runaway behavior now is not appropriate. It's time to fight back. When they [the jihadists] enter our fields, we must run after them and fight back with a knife, a machete, or a spear. Then, one of you must run to alert the security forces to join us in chasing the jihadists away.

He reassured the people that the extremists were being hunted down and that some of them had been killed in gun encounters.

Residents of the Quissanga district, especially the young people, requested guns to protect their territory against Islamist incursions.

The police commander gave the assurance that individuals who meet the requirements would be accepted into the local force, which collaborates with government troops and outside allies in the war against terrorism.