Mozambican navy personnel appear to have unlawfully killed at least 13 fishermen and injured several others off the coast of Mocimboa da Praia in Cabo Delgado province on March 15, 2026, according to an investigation published by Human Rights Watch.
The incident is not isolated. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) estimates that approximately 70 fishermen have been killed since 2024 in similar encounters with Mozambican Defence and Security Forces — a grim toll reflecting the growing militarization of civilian coastal life in the conflict-stricken north.
Human Rights Watch researcher Sheila Nhancale said Mozambican navy personnel fired on subsistence fishermen who had been operating in restricted waters out of economic necessity. She called on Mozambique’s international partners to press the government for a credible investigation and accountability.
What Happened at Calugo Village
Eyewitness accounts paint a harrowing picture. Fishermen from Mocimboa da Praia set out before dawn in three small boats to fish near Calugo village. According to a local journalist and relatives of victims, the boats were intercepted by naval personnel who first approached calmly, greeted the fishermen, and asked where they were coming from. Moments later, the navy returned and opened fire without warning.
Among those killed were Juma Sufo and Mr. Mapanga, both from different parts of the Mocimboa da Praia district. Three survivors, aged 23, 24, and 32, were taken to the Provincial Hospital in Pemba. One victim had a bullet lodged in his neck for five days before it was surgically removed on March 20.
Residents said the naval personnel appeared stressed and angry. One community member told Human Rights Watch: The soldiers were stressed and angry, and instead of investigating or arresting, they just killed.
Restrictions and Their Human Cost
The killings occurred amid sweeping coastal restrictions imposed by Mozambican authorities in parts of Mocimboa da Praia and Macomia districts. The government says the measures are intended to limit the movement of non-state armed groups along the coast — the same groups responsible for a brutal insurgency that has killed approximately 6,500 people and displaced more than 1.3 million since 2017.
But human rights advocates argue the restrictions have punishing effects on communities whose livelihoods depend entirely on fishing. Without access to the sea, communities lose essential means of subsistence. They are caught between the conflict and hunger, said Borges Nhamirre of the Institute for Security Studies.
Accountability Gap
ACLED researcher Tomas Queface said the incident is part of a documented pattern. We have documented multiple incidents, but there has been no serious investigation or accountability. This sends a message that such abuses are tolerated and risks further violations.
Human rights obligations under international humanitarian law require governments to investigate potentially unlawful deaths and ensure accountability. Mozambique is a signatory to both the Geneva Conventions and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. For the fishing communities of Cabo Delgado, the sea has become another zone of danger — whether from insurgents or from the forces nominally sent to protect them.