A bishop from Mozambique warns of the Islamist advance in the region: more than 300 Catholics killed and a project to impose a caliphate

The bishop of Pemba, Mons. António Juliasse Ferreira Sandramo, has warned that the jihadist groups operating in Cabo Delgado province, in northern Mozambique, are seeking to establish an Islamic caliphate in the region. The denunciation comes amid a war that has already left more than 6,300 dead, over a million displaced, and growing persecution against Christian communities. In statements collected by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the prelate said the terrorists no longer hide their objectives. “The signs are there. They speak openly of a caliphate. When they find people, when they kidnap victims, that is what they say: that they are working for a caliphate,” he stated. The violence has hit the Catholic Church particularly hard. According to ACN data, more than 300 Catholics have been killed since the insurgency began in 2017, many of them by beheading, while at least 117 churches and ecclesial buildings have been destroyed. “They speak openly of a caliphate” …