▁Africa , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁border ▁regions ▁of ▁German ▁East ▁Africa ▁( mod ern - day ▁T anz ania ). ▁News ▁about ▁the ▁conflict ▁in ▁Europe ▁spread ▁slowly ▁in ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁remote ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁African ▁colon ies , ▁resulting ▁in ▁confusion ▁about ▁which ▁country ▁was ▁at ▁war ▁with ▁whom . ▁ ▁The ▁b oma ▁( fort ) ▁of ▁Maz i ua ▁in ▁northern ▁Moz amb ique , ▁a ▁col ony ▁of ▁neutral ▁Portugal , ▁was ▁probably ▁not ▁informed ▁at ▁all ▁about ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁Maz i ua ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁a ▁small ▁police ▁det achment ▁of ▁the ▁Ni assa ▁Company , ▁and ▁commanded ▁by ▁S gt . ▁Edu ardo ▁Costa ▁of ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁Ar med ▁Forces ' ▁medical ▁service . ▁ ▁The ▁ra id ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁ 2 3 ▁August ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁German ▁ask ari ▁led ▁by ▁staff ▁sur geon ▁Dr . ▁Wolfgang ▁We ck ▁crossed ▁the ▁R uv uma ▁River ▁which ▁marked ▁the ▁border ▁of ▁German ▁East ▁Africa ▁to ▁Moz amb ique . ▁They ▁then ▁advanced ▁on ▁Maz i ua . ▁We ck ▁later ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁conduct ing ▁a ▁survey ▁on ▁the ▁sleep ing ▁sick ness ▁in ▁nearby ▁S ass aw ala , ▁and ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁informed ▁on ▁the ▁war ' s ▁out break . ▁Instead , ▁he ▁had ▁alleg edly ▁thought ▁that ▁Maz i ua ▁had ▁been ▁captured ▁by ▁native ▁reb els , ▁prompt ing ▁his ▁attack . ▁We ck ' s ▁account