Mozambique: Navy reinforces monitoring at Mocímboa da Praia port

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Mozambique: Navy reinforces monitoring at Mocímboa da Praia port

4:48 CAT | 07 Jan 2021

File photo: DW

The Mozambican Navy is reinforcing monitoring at the port of Mocímboa da Praia, occupied in August by insurgents. The port infrastructure is back under government control, although there are still rebels in the district, the defence minister has said.

“The port is no longer under enemy control. They have been around there [in the district] yes, one or one other and, perhaps, promote their activities there, but the Navy has strengthened its monitoring work,” Jaime Neto told the media in Zambézia on the sidelines of a ceremony launching registration for military service.

On the night of August 12, the armed groups active in Cabo Delgado invaded the port of Mocímboa da Praia in clashes with the Defence and Security Forces that left an unknown number of dead, including members of the maritime force, as well as destroying infrastructure.

According to the defence minister at the time, insurgents had infiltrated the communities and led attacks against government forces from inside as well as outside the district, which made it easier for them to stay there “for a long time”.

Specif.dw_ — *Mozambican special forces*

“They were fighting from within the district to the outside and that, in a way, created conditions for them to settle there for a long time. We believe that some [insurgents] are still in the district, and we are making an effort to recover [the district] and get all institutions back to work,” Minister Neto said.

Mocímboa da Praia is one of the main towns in the province of Cabo Delgado, located 70 kilometres south of the Total-led natural gas project construction area. The town was invaded and occupied for one day by rebels on March 23 of last year, in an action later claimed by the jihadist group Islamic State, and was, on June 27 and 28, the scene of long clashes between government forces and insurgent groups.

Operations to “annihilate the enemy”

The Mozambican defence minister reiterated that the motivations of these groups remain uncertain, but the Defence and Security Forces are deploying operations to “annihilate the enemy”.

“Sometimes they attack our positions, but our forces are ready to respond to fire. The morale of our forces is good, and they are doing everything to ensure that no part of our territory is occupied by the enemy,” Neto declared.

The leaders of these groups come from various parts of the African continent, he added, and have recruited young Mozambicans to carry out attacks in Cabo Delgado.

Armed violence in Cabo Delgado started three years ago (with a first attack in Mocímboa da Praia) and is causing a humanitarian crisis with more than 2,000 deaths and an estimated 560,000 internally displaced.

Source: Deutsche Welle