Government plans to build Monument honoring 52 killed by terrorists in Xitaxi

 

A monument in honor of the 52 young people brutally killed by terrorists in April 2020, in the community of Xitaxi, Muidumbe district, Cabo Delgado, will soon be erected as part of a project promoted by the Mozambican government.

The youths lost their lives after refusing to join the ranks of the insurgents during a forced gathering organized by the terrorists themselves. The act, widely condemned both nationally and internationally, has become one of the most tragic episodes of the armed violence plaguing the province of Cabo Delgado.

The administrator of Muidumbe, João Casimiro, revealed that the monument project is already in the hands of the Council of Ministers and is valued at approximately 4.1 million meticais.

According to Casimiro, the initial plan envisioned a smaller structure, but it was later revised following guidance from the central government.

"After the Council of Ministers reviewed it, they decided the monument should be larger than what we had initially planned. So, we were instructed to do a full accounting of all the young people killed at the site, including the twelve survivors, and we sent the list to Maputo for the purpose of constructing a monument of greater significance," he explained.

The monument, which does not yet have a start date, will be built at the actual site of the massacre, as a symbol of remembrance, resistance, and honor to the victims and survivors. The project is also seen as a way to keep alive the history of the Xitaxi community and the human losses caused by violent extremism in the region. (Mozanorte)