Mozambique: President renews appeal for support against terrorism, speaks about the attack on Matemo

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Mozambique: President renews appeal for support against terrorism, speaks about the attack on Matemo

3:16 CAT | 18 Mar 2022

Illustrative photo. [Source: Jornal Notícias]

Armed groups on Wednesday invaded the island of Matemo, one of the islands in the Quirimbas archipelago, in Cabo Delgado, the Mozambican president told his Portuguese counterpart on Thursday (17-03), noting that the fight in the north is far from over.

“My young [military] are fighting on the island of Matemo, because the terrorists tried to infiltrate it, but they are being hit hard,” Filipe Nyusi said during a dinner at the Ponta Vermelha Palace, his official residence in Maputo.

ALSO READ: Cabo Delgado: Ten terrorists killed on Matemo, navigation off the island prohibited – RM

The Defence and Security Forces (FDS) are present on the island to prevent insurgents infiltrating the local population, but apart from that, there is no further information available on the situation there.

Filipe Nyusi spoke of the onslaught when renewing a request for support.

“We are fully aware that complete victory is yet to be won,” given “the diffuse nature and invisible face of the terrorists, their motivations, funding sources and links,” he said.

“We renew the appeal to the international community to continue to support the efforts of Mozambique” and the Rwandan and SADC contingents “on the frontline” to “eradicate” armed violence as soon as possible, Nyusi added.

The immediate objective is the “return of people to their areas of origin”, along with the “sustainable normalisation of life in the districts affected” by the insurgency.

ALSO READ: Mozambique: Terrorists attack Matemo island – AIM report

The appeal is the same as that which Filipe Nyusi has already made in recent months to the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU), in search of funding for the maintenance of the joint military offensive.

He reiterated his appeal yesterday during a bilateral meeting with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, noting that, in addition to training, it is necessary to equip the troops, a point with which the Portuguese president agreed.

“We have had intense and fruitful military cooperation for a long time,” Marcelo said in his speech before dinner yesterday.

“Portugal is here, both bilaterally and within the framework of the EU, to guarantee victory against terrorism, and contribute to a freer, more solidary and peaceful future,” he underlined.

Cabo Delgado province is rich in natural gas, but has been terrorized since 2017 by armed rebels, with some attacks claimed by the Islamic State extremist group.

The conflict has already caused more than 3,100 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registry project, and displaced more than 859,000 people, according to the Mozambican authorities.

Since July, an offensive by government troops with the support of Rwanda, later joined by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has increased security, recovering several areas under rebel control since August, 2020, but their flight has led to new attacks in other areas.

Today’s dinner at the official residence of the Mozambican president was part of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s four-day official visit to Mozambique, which runs until Sunday.

The dinner was also attended by Prince Rahim Aga Khan, son of the spiritual leader of the Ismailis, anticipating the inauguration on Saturday of the Aga Khan Academy by the two heads of state.

Source: Lusa