Mozambican President underscores ‘gradual return to normalcy’ in Cabo Delgado

The President of Mozambique emphasized this Thursday the “gradual return to normalcy” in Cabo Delgado, a province affected by an armed insurgency since 2017, reiterating that the rebel groups do not currently have any bases in the region.

“With the support of the military mission of the Southern African Development Community [SADC] and in Rwanda we managed to solve a serious problem that we had (…). All occupied cities and towns have been restored, and at the moment we are not aware of a permanent terrorist base,” said Filipe Nyusi during a meeting with his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema as part of a working visit that began today in this African country.

Despite the lack of a “permanent base,” Mozambique’s head of state continued, rebel groups in Cabo Delgado continue to carry out attacks.

“They act like nomads, running from one corner to another. It is true that they always carry out attacks there to show that they exist, but the population returns to their places of origin, they rebuild their homes as well as the business sector. We hope that this recovery will continue even with regard to the megaprojects being implemented in the region,” added Filipe Nyusi, who reiterated that although SADC forces are retreating, the situation in terms of stability is positive.

Since October 2017, Cabo Delgado has been experiencing an armed uprising, with attacks blamed on movements linked to the extremist group Islamic State.

The last major attack took place on 10 and 11 May on the Macomia district headquarters, when about a hundred rebels looted the town, resulting in several deaths and heavy fighting with the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces.

People in other areas of the province report the movement of these groups of rebels, causing panic as they go, in the forests, but with no record of clashes that occur while peasants are trying to carry out harvesting work. in the growing fields.

Mozambique’s president said on June 16 that the actions of various defense forces had eliminated “virtually all” bases of terrorist groups operating in Cabo Delgado, which were now limited to “walking in the bush.”

Filipe Nyusi’s visit to Zambia, which borders Mozambique through Tete province (center), aims to strengthen cooperation between the countries, focusing on the ports, tourism and energy sectors, with several memorandums expected to be signed.