Significant gains, insurgent bases eliminated in Cabo Delgado – Minister | Watch

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Significant gains, insurgent bases eliminated in Cabo Delgado – Minister | Watch

11:02 CAT | 15 Nov 2022

“We speak of weakening, not of elimination. We are aware that it will take us a long time to eliminate them,” the minister warned, speaking at a meeting with defence attachés accredited in Mozambique. [Screen grab: Ministério da Defesa Nacional - Moçambique]

Mozambique’s defence minister on Monday noted “significant gains” in the fight against armed violence in the north of the country, saying that “permanent bases of terrorists” in Cabo Delgado had been eliminated.

“Significant gains have been registered in the theatre of operations […] there are no longer any permanent bases of terrorists,” said Cristóvão Chume, during a meeting with defence attachés accredited in Mozambique.

According to the Mozambican defence minister, the insurgents are now spread out in small groups and in a vulnerable situation, in the face of the offensive by Mozambican forces, with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Cristóvão Chume also noted that there had been a “weakening of the terrorists’ operational capacity” as well as the neutralisation of the groups’ leaders, among Mozambicans and other nationalities.

“We speak of weakening, not of elimination. We are aware that it will take us a long time to eliminate them,” the minister warned.

Cabo Delgado province has faced an armed insurgency promoted by rebels for five years, with some attacks claimed by extremist group Islamic State.

The insurgency led to a military response a year ago with support from Rwanda and SADC, liberating districts near gas projects, but new waves of attacks have emerged in the south of the region and in neighbouring Nampula province.

In five years, the conflict has left one million people displaced, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and around 4,000 dead, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.

President Nyusi in Mocímboa this Monday

Meanwhile, Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi yesterday called on producers in districts where security has been restored in Cabo Delgado province to return to agricultural activity, saying the “terrorists are fleeing”.

“Now embrace your production activity, because you do ‘machamba’ [cultivation] in the rainy weather,” Nyusi said.

The Mozambican head of state was speaking during the ceremony to launch the 2022-2023 agricultural season, in the district of Mocímboa da Praia, northern Mozambique, whose town was liberated about a year ago from the control of armed groups that carry out attacks in Cabo Delgado province.

Nyusi said that the insurgents were fleeing from the province of Cabo Delgado, due to the actions of government forces from Mozambique, Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

“The terrorists have been dislodged in Mocímboa, thanks to the young men of the navy and army with their brothers from Rwanda and SADC,” Nyusi stressed.

The battle against the armed groups is not over yet and the pursuit of the insurgents continues, he advanced.

The Mozambican head of state handed over agricultural equipment to 200 families in Mocímboa da Praia as part of an assistance initiative that will cover 25,000 producers in the districts affected by armed violence in Cabo Delgado province.

Source: Lusa / Ministério da Defesa Nacional - Moçambique