ON THE GROUND
Father, what can you tell us about the kidnapping of Christian women in Mozambique?
Father Kwiriwi Fonseca of Pemba Diocese has been ministering to kidnapping victims in Mozambique. He spoke with ACN about the growing crisis in his homeland. He told the charity that Christian girls face a real risk of abduction, rape and forced conversion and marriage because “they [the Àghters] are able to do anything. They can do what they want.”
Christian women are being kidnapped, not all alone but with other women. It is a phenomenon taking place where the terrorists are, where the Àghting is taking place. We talk about the issue in general in places such as Mocimboa da Praia or in Palma, where the attacks are.
You’ve previously talked about underage girls and boys being taken. Can you tell us more about that?
When we went to the camps where the displaced people are, some women told us that their children are now in the hands of terrorists. The way they talked about it and the way they were crying convinced us it is happening. In the terrorists’ hands, there are some children ― Save the Children has conÀrmed it. In the last week, the military went to destroy a camp of the terrorists and rescued some children.
What fate befalls these young girls?
When they are in the hands of the terrorists, they are involved in the military services so they become their soldiers. They are also taught the Islamic doctrine and they are taught the military terrorist activities. The women, some of them, are forced to marry with the terrorists.
What is motivating this spate of kidnapping? What are the Àghters hoping to achieve?
The group is not clear with what they want. But, so far, from the way they do things we can understand it is an economic issue. Further, some of them are involved in drug trafÀcking and they are an international and national group involved in these problems. They are motivated by their Islamic beliefs even though we know they have other motivations on top of that as well. They use religion but, behind that, there are many other issues they care about.
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