The Rwandan government is open to expanding its operations against rebel groups in Cabo Delgado as SADC mission forces prepare to leave the battlefield, the defense ministry said.
“Just as we agreed to go to Ankuabe, another area, when a request was made to us, I believe that if this request [de expandir as operações] done for our administration, we can consider it,” said Ronald Riwanga, a spokesman for the Rwandan Ministry of Defense, as quoted by Televisão de Moçambique this Friday.
At issue is the departure, starting this month, of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in Mozambique, a force that, like Rwanda, supported operations and the fight against rebel groups in Cabo Delgado.
Apart from Ankuabe, Rwandan forces are now operating mainly in Mocimboa da Praia and Palma, but the attention of Mozambican forces is now focused on the banks of the Messalo River, between Muidumbe and Macomia, further north of the province.
“The most important thing is to work together with Mozambican forces to pacify the province of Cabo Delgado,” Ronald Rivanga emphasized.
With the help of Rwanda, who arrived in July 2021, and SADC, who arrived in the province in August of the same year, the military offensive in Maputo created an atmosphere of greater security in the region that had not been seen for many years, retaking controlled territories. rebels, such as the village of Mocimboa da Praia, occupied since 2020.
The Mozambican army believes that security has been restored in about 90% of Cabo Delgado province, arguing that conditions exist for the return of private companies, including the French oil company Total, which is leading the Zone 1 consortium, an investment of about 20 billion euros for gas exploration in Afungi.
Work was suspended indefinitely following the armed attack on Palma in March 2021, with the French energy company saying it would only resume work when the area was safe.
Cabo Delgado province has faced an armed insurgency for six years, with attacks blamed on the extremist group Islamic State and its affiliates.
The conflict has already displaced one million people, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and nearly 4,000 people have died, according to the ACLED Conflict Recording Project.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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