More than 120 children have been abducted by jihadist insurgents in northern Mozambique in recent days, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned, highlighting a disturbing escalation in the troubled Cabo Delgado province.
The children are reportedly being exploited by an Islamic State-linked group, locally known as al-Shabab, for various brutal purposes. These include transporting looted goods, forced labour, and in some cases, being pressed into service as child soldiers or forced into marriage.
