Cabo Delgado mercenaries: South Africa “doesn’t want its name sullied” – Thomashausen

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Cabo Delgado mercenaries: South Africa “doesn’t want its name sullied” – Thomashausen

2:04 CAT | 28 May 2020

FILE-House destroyed in armed attack in Aldeia da Paz, outside Macomia (2019). [File photo: DW]

Pretoria is concerned about the presence of South African mercenaries fighting insurgents in northern Mozambique, Professor of International Law André Thomashausen says in an interview with DW.

The presence of South African mercenaries in Cabo Delgado, in northern Mozambique, is causing apprehension in Pretoria and “cooling” relations between the two countries, Professor of International Law André Thomashausen says, adding that their presence in Cabo Delgado is worrying South Africa, because it is “illegal”.

In the past, it had always been a scandal in South Africa when it became known that mercenaries from the country were fighting against radical group Boko Haram in Nigeria or against militants from al-Shabab in Somalia. South African legislation “very clearly controls and governs” the provision of “military services by private individuals in foreign countries”, adds Thomashausen, a German national who has lived and worked in South Africa for several decades.

“Evidently, South Africa does not want its name sullied, with former soldiers, ex-apartheid soldiers, creating confusing and violent situations in neighbouring countries, and without really having an agreement on such a measure,” Thomashausen says.

Covid-19: An obstacle in the ongoing negotiations

For now, there is still no agreement in sight between the two countries. Last weekend, South Africa’s public radio and television chain, SABC, claimed, without citing official sources, that Mozambique had asked for air and naval support in fighting the insurgency in Cabo Delgado.

South African Minister of Foreign Affairs Naledi Pandor said that negotiations were ongoing. “Our governments negotiate how, individually and through our resources, we can provide our support, like South Africa,” she explained. “At this very moment, we understand that Mozambique is being supported by private security companies, in fighting this group of insurgents.”

However, political analyst André Thomashausen sees a major obstacle to this support. “It is true that South Africa has been considering Mozambique’s request, but is having immense difficulties in responding to that request”.

South Africa is in its second month of Coveid-19 ‘lockdown’, but has still had to mobilise 72,000 soldiers troops, both active and in reserve, to maintain security and ensure compliance with restrictions deigned to slow the spread of the disease.

“Sending material with few experts makes little sense,” Thomashausen posits, noting that “there is simply no material that can go to the north of Mozambique, taking into account the complete lack of the logistics and engineering and technical support that this would entail.”

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Policy, Defence and Security troika met in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, on May 19 at Mozambique’s request, to discuss the insurgency in Cabo Delgado. The Mozambican province has been the scene of attacks for two-and-a-half years now, causing hundreds of deaths, the destruction of infrastructure and displacing more than 200,000 civilians.

In April, Mozambique formally acknowledged that it was suffering from “external aggression by terrorists” in the province.

Source: Deutsche Welle