Team Musul: French youths convicted of attempting to join Islamic State group in Mozambique
Five French youths have been convicted for attempting to join the Islamic State group in Mozambique. They were sentenced for participating in a conspiracy to prepare a terrorist act, with plans to migrate to the country amid its ongoing jihadist insurgency. This case is considered unique in France, as Mozambique is not a typical destination for radicalized individuals from the country.
- ▪The defendants were convicted for participation in a criminal conspiracy to prepare a terrorist act.
- ▪They planned to undertake hijra to Mozambique, which has faced a jihadist insurgency since 2017.
- ▪Sentences ranged from two to 10 years in prison, and none of the defendants appealed their sentences.
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A patrol of Rwandan soldiers at the Macomia border post, in Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique, on January 3, 2023. JUAN LUIS ROD/AFP "You are not mistaken. I have jihadist propaganda and I wanted to go to Mozambique," one of the defendants admitted during his hearing. The plan seemed unusual, as the southern African country does not typically feature among the destinations considered by people radicalized in France. Yet the idea took root in the minds of five of the six young people who, between March and April in Paris, were convicted for "participation in a criminal conspiracy with the aim of preparing a terrorist act." They had planned to undertake hijra (collective religious migration) to Mozambique, a country in southeastern Africa that, since 2017, has faced a jihadist insurgency by…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Le Monde (EN).
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