The outgoing head of the European Union Training Mission in Mozambique (EUTM-MOZ) this Friday called the death of the “terrorist leader” in August a victory, but warned that the war in Cabo Delgado continues.
“This is truly a victory. But winning a battle is not winning a war,” Rogerio Paulo Figueira Martins de Brito told the media moments after stepping down as EUTM-MOZ leader at an official ceremony in Maputo.
On August 25, the Chief of the General Staff of the Mozambique Armed Defense Forces, Joaquim Rivas Mangrasse, announced that the leader of terrorism in the country, Mozambican Bonomade Machude Omar, had been eliminated along with other elements of the Mozambican leadership. terrorist group.
According to Rogerio Paulo Figueira Martins de Brito, despite this “victory”, the Mozambican Armed Forces must continue to work, and this process must be accompanied by increased investment to end the insurgency in northern Mozambique.
“It is necessary to continue working, to continue training, to continue training the forces and to continue their re-equipment,” Rogerio Paulo Figueira Martins de Brito emphasized.
As for the Portuguese military, on the ground the army has shown significant progress in relation to, above all, joint and combined operations, but the fight against terrorism takes time.
“Now the initiative is on the side of the Mozambican army, which, together with its partners, is conducting a campaign in which, of course, there are good moments and bad moments, but the result of which is extremely positive,” he emphasized.
Bonomad Machude, considered the leader of the radical Islamic State group in Mozambique, was targeted in the second phase of the so-called Operation Golpe Duro II carried out by the Mozambican army.
The extremist leader has been described by some experts as a “symbiosis of brutality and vigilance” and is on the US list of “global terrorists” and is the target of European Union sanctions.
In August 2021, the United States designated Bonomad Machoude Omar, also known as Abu Sulaifa Muhammad and Ibn Omar, as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).”
Cabo Delgado province has faced armed insurgency for nearly six years, with the Islamic State extremist group claiming responsibility for some attacks.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the conflict has forced one million people to flee their homes, and according to the ACLED conflict registry, about 4,000 people have died.
The leadership of EUTM-MOZ at the ceremony was attended by the Minister of Defense of Portugal, Carlos Pires, and the head of state, Major General of Mozambique, who did not make statements to the media.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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