Mozambique’s Defense Minister Cristovan Chume said this Wednesday that he expects “some escalation” of terrorist activities in Cabo Delgado province, in the north of the country, as an act of revenge for the recent death in battle of their commanders.
“We expect some further escalation, but we can guarantee that we will continue to fight,” Chum said.
The Defense Minister spoke at the conference “Mobilizing Collective Intelligence to Combat and Prevent Violent Extremism and Terrorism in Africa – African Solutions to African Problems”, which kicked off this Wednesday in the capital of Mozambique.
Cristovao Chume said the government was “fully confident” that the rebels would “revenge” the death in battle in late August of the main rebel leader in Cabo Delgado province, Mozambican Bonomade Machude Omar. along with other elements of the terrorist group’s leadership.
Chume pointed to the killing of 12 people this month in the Mocimboa da Praia region as evidence of vindictive rebel actions following “operational pressure” brought by government forces from Mozambique, South Africa and Rwanda.
“We recognize that the destruction of terrorist commanders does not in itself mean the end of terrorism,” the Mozambican Defense Minister emphasized.
This challenge, he continued, also requires the initiation of other actions, such as creating social and economic opportunities for communities affected by gun violence in Cabo Delgado.
The minister noted that the Mozambique Defense and Security Forces must continue to improve its operational capabilities, repeating a request for assistance from international partners in terms of training and the supply of “lethal materials.”
Highlighting the spread of terrorism and violent extremism in Africa, Cristovão Chume emphasized the importance of increased cooperation among the continent’s countries and exchange of information to combat local groups.
Cabo Delgado province has faced armed insurgency for nearly six years, with the Islamic State extremist group claiming responsibility for some attacks.
On the ground, in Cabo Delgado, they are fighting terrorism – attacks that have been occurring since October 2017 and which have driven the advancement of natural gas projects in the region – the Mozambique Armed Defense Forces since July 2021, with the support of Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community ( SADC).
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the conflict in northern Mozambique has already displaced one million people and nearly 4,000 deaths, according to the ACLED Conflict Record Project, while Mozambique’s president has admitted that “more than 2,000 people have died” “
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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