Rwanda vows to root out terrorism after soldiers attacked by rebels on Saturday

The commander of Rwandan forces fighting rebels in Cabo Delgado said his country remains committed to “terrorism” after Rwandan troops were targeted by rebels on Saturday.

“Our people are friends, and our presidents [de Moçambique, Filipe Nyusi, e do Ruanda, Paul Kagame] They are also our friends and that is why we are committed to eradicating these terrorists,” Alex Kagame said.

Kagame spoke on Monday at a meeting with residents of the town of Mocimboa da Praia, where Rwandan soldiers were ambushed by rebels on Saturday.

The Rwandan army commander did not comment on the attack, but confirmed the goal of eliminating rebels carrying out attacks in Cabo Delgado province.

Alex Kagame also expressed the readiness of Rwandan forces to participate in social projects such as the construction of markets and schools, supporting the initiative they have been developing since 2023.

According to information provided by Mocimboa da Praia administrator Sergio Cipriano, the girl was killed in Saturday’s attack by a “stray bullet” fired by the rebels.

“The girl was shot in the stomach and did not survive,” Cipriano told public channel Televisão de Moçambique (TVM).

Calling the attack in the “local area” a “surprise” given that it is controlled by Rwandan forces and is considered more effective, the administrator of Mocimboa da Praia said that the country’s military has not yet commented on possible casualties inside it. There are also no reports of militants killed or wounded in the standoff.

“They haven’t told us anything yet,” he said.

Sergio Cipriano said people had reported that rebels had tried to attack Mozambican army barracks in other raids in the region on Saturday, but those attacks had not yet been confirmed.

The town of Mocimboa da Praia was under the control of armed groups operating in Cabo Delgado for about a year after it was liberated by government forces from Rwanda and Mozambique in August 2021.

Since October 2017, an armed rebellion has erupted in the gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado, with movements linked to the Islamic State extremist group claiming responsibility for attacks.

The latest major attack took place on 10 and 11 May on the Macomia district headquarters, when about a hundred rebels looted the town, leading to several deaths and heavy fighting with the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces and the Rwandan military, who are also supporting Mozambique in the fight against the rebels.

Since early August, various sources on the ground, including local forces, have reported intense clashes in the forests of the Mukoyo (Makomia) administrative post involving helicopters, armoured vehicles and heavily armed men, with gunfire reported in areas believed to be hideouts for these groups.