The Mercedarian Sisters were the second congregation to suffer an armed robbery in a matter of days, as the violence in northern Mozambique steadily worsens.
The Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, in the Diocese of Pemba, Mozambique, endured a near-death experience on 8 June, when the home they run was broken into by a group of men armed with guns and machetes.
The four sisters, who care for around 30 young girls, were robbed of all their valuables and even threatened with decapitation.
In a message to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Sister Ofélia Robledo Alvarado, described the terror they felt during the break-in. “A group of 18 men entered our mission, armed with machetes, iron bars and weapons. 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, cellphones and what little money we had.”
The worst, however, was still to come, as the criminals herded the sisters into their chapel and made them kneel. “We thought they were going to set fire to the chapel with us inside, but instead they made Sister Esperanza kneel in the centre of the chapel and raised a machete to cut off her head in front of us. I pleaded for them not to kill her, they had already taken all we owned, I begged for mercy. These were terrible moments, but thank God, they released her,” Sister Ofélia explains.
As the armed men left the premises, the sisters went in search of their wards, terrified that they might have been harmed or harassed in any way. “Thank God, we found them quiet and unmolested. This was the first time in 17 years that our mission has been attacked, nobody had ever entered our house with ill-intent,” says Sister Ofélia. “But the wave of terrorism that began in 2017 changed everything, we are living a situation of insecurity all over the province of Cabo Delgado, and what is sad is that it seems that even the police and the military are involved in these bands of organised criminals, so we need to take measures to protect ourselves and the girls.”
The Mercedarians are now hoping to raise funds to install security cameras and bars on the windows, although in total the building – including the sisters’ residence, the home for the girls they care for, the chapel, the guesthouse and the study room – has 70 windows, which is quite an investment.
The robbery of the Mercedarians’ house was the second of the past few weeks. Only days earlier the La Salette Fathers in Mieze were also robbed by men armed with machetes who attacked under the cover of darkness. Fortunately, none of the religious were harmed.
The province of Cabo Delgado, in the north of Mozambique, has been suffering from a jihadist insurgency since 2017. The recent attacks on the Mercedarian and La Salette missions were not carried out by Islamist insurgents. However, the general breakdown in security – largely caused by the insurgency – has contributed to a rise in armed violence affecting the entire province of Cabo Delgado. In addition, severe poverty and lack of resources, also a consequence of the insurgency, have led to waves of theft and robbery.
Sister Aparecida Ramos Queiroz, who is responsible for the projects of the Diocese of Pemba, confirmed to ACN the urgent need for security measures to protect the convents in the diocese. In 2023, the convent of her own congregation in Metoro was attacked. ACN, which has been providing emergency assistance to the local Diocese of Pemba to help some of the up to one million people internally displaced by the violence, is working closely with the diocese to support its efforts to improve security in its convents and mission structures.
By Paulo Aido & Maria Lozano.
