Mozambique: SADC military mission pledges to ‘neutralise cruelty of terrorism’

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Mozambique: SADC military mission pledges to ‘neutralise cruelty of terrorism’

9:10 CAT | 10 Aug 2021

Photo: Presidency

The commander of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) military mission on Monday pledged to neutralise the cruelty of terrorism and restore peace in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique.

South African Xolani Mankayi was speaking during the official launch of the SADC Standby Force in Pemba, capital of Cabo Delgado province, on Monday.

The SADC military mission, he said, would work to expel and eliminate terrorism and violent extremism from Mozambique, so that people can return home and resume their lives.

“Our mandate is to restore order and security, so that the populations can live in peace,” he said.

The creation of conditions for humanitarian assistance to the victims of armed violence in Cabo Delgado is also one of the functions of the mission.

Mankayi said that the SADC military mission (SAMIM) would work in close collaboration with Mozambican defence and security forces (FDS) and the Rwandan military contingent, whose presence had been crucial in the gains made in recent weeks against armed groups.

The commander of the SADC Standby Force said that the mission would last for three months, which could be extended depending on the evolution of the operation.

The office of the President of Mozambique said on Sunday in a statement that the SADC military contingent included defence and security forces from South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Lesotho and Tanzania, in the areas of land, naval, air, intelligence and logistics forces, amongst others.

The number of troops the organisation will send to Mozambique is not publicly known, but SADC experts, who were in Cabo Delgado, had already said in April that the mission should be made up of around 3,000 soldiers.

Since the beginning of July, the Mozambican FDS has had the support of 1,000 soldiers and police from Rwanda to fight against armed groups, as part of a bilateral agreement between the Mozambican government and the Kigali authorities.

The Mozambican Defence Ministry on Sunday confirmed the recapture of the town of Mocímboa da Praia by the joint Mozambican and Rwandan forces, saying that fighting was continuing to consolidate the remaining critical areas.

“The joint forces of Mozambique and Rwanda have controlled the village of Mocímboa da Praia since 11 a.m. [10 a.m. Lisbon time] on 8 August 2021,” Mozambique’s Defence Ministry spokesman Omar Saranga said at a press conference.

Earlier, the Rwandan Ministry of Defence had already announced in a tweet the recovery of Mocímboa da Praia.

Armed groups have terrorised Cabo Delgado province since 2017, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.

Following the attacks, there are more than 3,100 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project, and more than 817,000 displaced people, according to Mozambican authorities.

President @OfficialMasisi’s tour of the bases included that of the BDF Contingent where he gave them morale boost & also paid tribute to the late Corporal Jacob Banno Ramagonono, who was part of the BDF Contingent to SAMIM, died in a car accident in Mozambique. #BWPresidency 🇧🇼 pic.twitter.com/my5kf7PKAl

— Office of the President| Republic of Botswana. (@BWPresidency) August 10, 2021

I am honoured as the Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence & Security Cooperation to have officially launched the SADC Mission in 🇲🇿Mozambique (SAMIM) yesterday at Pemba in the Cabo Delgado Region of Mozambique.

Peace shall prevail in SADC.🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿#PeaceAndStability pic.twitter.com/S7A9o7vfzg

— Dr. Mokgweetsi E.K Masisi (@OfficialMasisi) August 10, 2021