Mozambique: President urges union, patriotism among youth

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Mozambique: President urges union, patriotism among youth

3:48 CAT | 12 Aug 2022

File photo: O País

Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi on Friday called for the unity of Mozambican youth because of the challenges facing the country, including terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

“Mozambican youths should unite in the cultivation of a spirit of solidarity, respect and love for their fellow human beings in general and their elders in particular, drawing on the valuable experience of this age group to find concrete answers to the common problems that beset society, particularly the pandemic of covid-19, natural disasters, pockets of terrorism and the impact of climate change,” said Filipe Nyusi, in a message alluding to International Youth Day, which is marked today.

For Filipe Nyusi, developing a patriotic conscience is fundamental among young people, who should also strengthen vigilance to curb “deviant behaviour” in their communities.

“We urge the Mozambican youth to celebrate 12 August focused on the spirit of serving the Mozambican nation, improving measures to combat deviant behaviour, by intensifying vigilance within communities to ensure the well-being of society,” the Mozambican head of state added.

Unemployment and the lack of opportunities – particularly in emerging investments linked to gas – have been pointed out by several observers as some of the causes for recruiting young people from Cabo Delgado to the rebel groups terrorising the province.

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

There are 784,000 internally displaced people due to the conflict, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and around 4,000 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.

Since July 2021, an offensive by government troops with Rwandan support, later joined by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has allowed areas where there was a rebel presence to recover, but their flight has provoked new attacks in other districts used as a passage or temporary refuge.

Source: Lusa