Survivor of the Mozambique terror relives his nightmare: ‘Hiding in a trench saved my life’

For four interminable days Francois van Niekerk and his Mozambican colleague were forced to take cover in a trench to escape the recent deadly Al-Shabaab attack. But it saved their lives.

“It’s very difficult still talking about it,” says Francois (21), who made headlines when he survived the horror in Palma in northern Mozambique in March.

Francois, who managed a family business in the country, was forced to take cover in a ditch while the militant Islamic group raided the town, beating and killing citizens.