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 have managed to solve a serious problem that we had (…). All the occupied cities and towns have been restored, and at this point 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 to this African country that began today.
Despite the lack of a “permanent base,” the Mozambican 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 the scene 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 Mozambican Defense and Security Forces.
The population of other areas of the province reports the movement of these groups of rebels, causing panic along the way, in the forests, but without any records of clashes, which occurs at a time when the peasants are trying to carry out harvesting work in the fields of cultivation.
Mozambique’s president said on June 16 that the actions of various defence forces had eliminated “virtually all” the 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 (centre), is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the countries, focusing on the ports, tourism and energy sectors, with several memorandums expected to be signed.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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