Cobue
Encyclopedia
Cobue is a small lake-side town in Niassa Province
, in north-west Mozambique
. It is located on the shore of Lake Niassa
.
Cobue serves as the gateway to Mozambique from Malawi
. It is located 10 km from Likoma Island
offshore. The town is important for boat trippers and serves as a resting point for the Ilala ferry between Likoma and Metangula
, 75 km away which is connected via a dilapidated road which makes travelling by boat more common.
The town of Cobue has an old ruined Roman Catholic church and school. Although the church was only built in the 1950s, it was burned down during the civil war for independence, which lasted from the early 1960s to 1974. During wartime the school served as a base for Frelimo and today there is still a danger from landmines on the grounds.
The local diocese didn’t have the funds to reroof the church, and it is still used today, one of the rooms tidied with chairs neatly in a row, with table for an altar was now used for weekly mass in Cobue.
The last attack on Cobue was in May 1986 during the Mozambican Civil War
, when Frelimo forces occupied the coastline and came under attack from the RENAMO, of the Mozambique National Resistance Organisation, a military unit of dissident Mozambican soldiers controlled by the Rhodesian army
. On a day that the Frelimo were celebrating a wedding, Renamo forces attacked Cobué and killed many people. The Renamo rebels had a reputation for violence, and schools and hospitals were razed and some educated professionals in the town such as teachers and doctors were executed and were victim to savage acts.
who has interests in the area which whilst opening up the area to tourists, they work at promoting sustainable development in the area, The reserve has a notable population of birds, ranging from Osprey
s, palm nut vultures to owl
s and eagle
s. The reserve has a dhow
named Miss Nkwichi operated by the Nkwichi Lodge which offers trips out onto Lake Niassa.
Niassa Province
Niassa is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 129,056 km² and a population of 1.027.037 . It is the most sparsely populated province in the country. Lichinga is the capital of the province. There are a minimum estimated 450,000 Yao people living in Mozambique...
, in north-west Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. It is located on the shore of Lake Niassa
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi , is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania...
.
Cobue serves as the gateway to Mozambique from Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
. It is located 10 km from Likoma Island
Likoma Island
Likoma Island is the larger of two inhabited islands in Lake Malawi , in East Africa, the smaller being the nearby Chizumulu. Likoma and Chizumulu both belong to Malawi, and together they make up the Likoma District...
offshore. The town is important for boat trippers and serves as a resting point for the Ilala ferry between Likoma and Metangula
Metangula
Metangula is a small town in on the shores of Lake Niassa, 150 kilometers from the provincial capital of Lichinga in Niassa Province, Mozambique. A few kilometers north of Metangula lies the beautiful sand beach of Chuanga. Main agricultural crops from the area are cassava and Vigna beans ....
, 75 km away which is connected via a dilapidated road which makes travelling by boat more common.
History
The Portuguese left a legacy in Cobue, but there was still only a 5% literacy rate among black people when they left after the war of independence in 1975. After independence there was a substantial increase in secondary school enrolment but the economy remained poor, with the Portuguese pulling out their capital and their skills, and then a few years of flooding and drought. Today however the little town is mainly run by tourism from Niassa.The town of Cobue has an old ruined Roman Catholic church and school. Although the church was only built in the 1950s, it was burned down during the civil war for independence, which lasted from the early 1960s to 1974. During wartime the school served as a base for Frelimo and today there is still a danger from landmines on the grounds.
The local diocese didn’t have the funds to reroof the church, and it is still used today, one of the rooms tidied with chairs neatly in a row, with table for an altar was now used for weekly mass in Cobue.
The last attack on Cobue was in May 1986 during the Mozambican Civil War
Mozambican Civil War
The Mozambican Civil War began in 1977, two years after the end of the war of independence. The ruling party, Front for Liberation of Mozambique , was violently opposed from 1977 by the Rhodesian- and South African-funded Mozambique Resistance Movement...
, when Frelimo forces occupied the coastline and came under attack from the RENAMO, of the Mozambique National Resistance Organisation, a military unit of dissident Mozambican soldiers controlled by the Rhodesian army
Rhodesian Army
The Rhodesian Security Forces consisted of the Rhodesian Army, Royal Rhodesian Air Force, British South Africa Police, Rhodesian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Guard Force.- Rhodesian Army :...
. On a day that the Frelimo were celebrating a wedding, Renamo forces attacked Cobué and killed many people. The Renamo rebels had a reputation for violence, and schools and hospitals were razed and some educated professionals in the town such as teachers and doctors were executed and were victim to savage acts.
Manda Wilderness Reserve
Nearby Cobue is the Manda Wilderness Reserve, a concservation area alongside Lake Niassa which is privately funded by the nearby Nkwichi Lodge and the Government of SwedenGovernment of Sweden
The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden is the supreme executive authority of Sweden. It consists of the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers appointed by the Prime Minister. The Government is responsible for their actions to the Riksdag, which is the legislative assembly...
who has interests in the area which whilst opening up the area to tourists, they work at promoting sustainable development in the area, The reserve has a notable population of birds, ranging from Osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
s, palm nut vultures to owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s and eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s. The reserve has a dhow
Dhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
named Miss Nkwichi operated by the Nkwichi Lodge which offers trips out onto Lake Niassa.