Mozambique’s president says defense forces have destroyed “virtually all” terrorist bases

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said this Sunday that the actions of the various defense forces have made it possible to eliminate “virtually all” bases of terrorist groups operating in Cabo Delgado, which are now limited to “walking in the bushes”. .

“The result of this combination of forces is amazing. They managed to incapacitate terrorists in all occupied towns and villages, destroy almost all fixed enemy bases, turning them into nomads, and remove many violent extremists from the battle, including some of their main leaders,” said Nyusi from Mueda, Cabo Delgado province .

Speaking at a ceremony marking the 64th anniversary of the Mueda Massacre, the head of state praised the efforts of the Mozambican Defense Forces together with the Rwandan military, the mission of southern African countries and the Local Forces, consisting of former participants in the national liberation struggle, who participated in the fight against these groups over the past six years.

“They are there in the bush, but they no longer stay in one place because they are afraid of being found,” the president also said of the activities of these rebel groups in some areas of Cabo Delgado, renewing his appeal to the population to “continue to strengthen surveillance.”

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

The last major attack occurred on May 10 and 11 against the Macomia district headquarters, when about a hundred rebels sacked the town, resulting in several deaths and heavy fighting with the Mozambique Defense 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.

Back in Mueda, the head of state today opened work on the restoration of the local airfield, built in the 60s and now “converted into a civil and military airport” to accommodate mixed operations.

This rehabilitation will bring the total number of airstrips in Cabo Delgado province to four, including Pemba International Airport, the provincial capital, which is approximately 260 kilometers from Mueda. At the ceremony, Filipe Nyusi called on the transport sector to consider building an airstrip also on Ibo Island, Quirimbas Archipelago, in the province.

At a ceremony today marking the 64th anniversary of the Mueda Massacre, considered one of the last acts of resistance against Portuguese colonialism before the outbreak of armed struggle in Mozambique, the head of state also awarded 240 former combatants.

On June 16, 1960, a protest by the local population was suppressed by the authorities, leading to the death of hundreds of people in the center of Mueda.