MOZAMBIQUE: Sisters held at gunpoint and threatened with decapitation
Religious Sisters in northern Mozambique who were robbed at gunpoint have recounted their ordeal, describing how they were threatened with decapitation during a night-time raid.
The Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament broke their silence for the first time since the attack, telling Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that a group of 18 armed men stormed their compound on 8th June in conflict-ridden Cabo Delgado Province.
Sister Ofélia Robledo Alvarado said that the men carried “machetes, iron bars and [other] weapons”.
She added: “Eight men came into the house, while the others stayed outside, controlling the gates and subduing the guards.
“We were terrified when we saw them enter our rooms, demanding money and taking everything they could get their hands on.
“They stole our computers, cell phones and what little money we had.”
Sister Alvarado told ACN that the assailants forced the four Sisters into their chapel where “they made Sister Esperanza kneel in the centre and raised a machete to her neck.
“I begged for mercy – they had already taken everything.
“Thank God, they let her go.”
She added, once the intruders left, the Sisters rushed to check on the 30 girls they care for at their convent.
Sister Alvarado said the girls were “quiet and unharmed” after the robbery.
Days before the attack, the Missionaries of La Salette in nearby Mieze were also robbed at night by men armed with machetes. None of the missionaries was injured in the attack.
Neither robbery has been linked to Islamist extremism – but both incidents come amid a growing climate of insecurity in Mozambique.
Since 2017, Cabo Delgado has been shaken by a jihadist insurgency, killing about 5,000 and displacing a million people – while also fuelling criminal violence.
Sister Aparecida Ramos Queiroz, who coordinates ACN projects in Pemba Diocese, said that security measures are urgently needed to keep religious congregations safe.
The charity is working with the diocese to support efforts to improve the security of local convents and other Church buildings.
ACN is also providing emergency aid for those displaced by the violence in Mozambique.
With thanks to Paulo Aido and Maria Lozano