Listen: Mozambican analysts on Rwanda’s lead in reporting on Cabo Delgado

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Listen: Mozambican analysts on Rwanda’s lead in reporting on Cabo Delgado

8:38 CAT | 26 Aug 2021

FILE - Rwandan troops deploying to Mozambique. [File photo: Reuters]

Mozambican analysts are urging the ministries of the Interior and of National Defence to reflect on how the country and the international community should learn what is happening in Cabo Delgado, in a context where only the Rwandans seem to be reporting on the fight against terrorism in the province.

At the moment, all that is known about the situation in the northern operational theatre filters through the Rwandan press, while very little is heard from the Mozambican side.

Journalist Fernando Lima explains that”there is a very rusty communication machine on the Mozambican side.”

Lima added that this is now being highlighted “in a situation where it is confronted with another communicational machine which works, completely, in different parameters”.

Unilateral narrative

Lima argues that the ministries of the Interior and of National Defence “should reflect on how they want Mozambicans and the international community to find out what is happening in Cabo Delgado, otherwise we will only have a unilateral narrative by Rwanda, with Mozambique in the wake of Rwandan communication”.

Analyst Moisés Mabunda agrees, saying: “The lack of communication is a very worrying issue in Mozambique; there has to be a deep reflection on this.” He recalls that the recent disagreement between Maputo and Pretoria over the participation of Rwanda in the military conflict in Cabo Delgado was the result of lack of communication.

Mabunda stresses that, due to the lack of information on the Mozambican side, one gets the impression that the Rwandans are alone on the front line.

But Mozambican Defence Minister Jaime Neto recently said that Mozambicans were also on the front line.

“The forces of Rwanda and our forces have already engaged in combat several times, and we think that the work they are doing is very good,” he said.

Source: VOA Mews