Mozambique: Defence minister warns youths of ‘false job offers’ in Cabo Delgado

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Mozambique: Defence minister warns youths of ‘false job offers’ in Cabo Delgado

8:25 CAT | 10 Jan 2023

Photo: Ministério da Defesa Nacional

Mozambique’s minister of defence on Monday called on young people in the country “not to be deceived” by false job promises in the province of Cabo Delgado, which has been terrorised by armed attacks for five years now, warning that many have died there after being “deceived” by such offers.

“Young people, do not let yourselves be fooled,” said Chume at a ceremony to launch the military census in Malema, in the province of Nampula, northern Mozambique. “Many of our deceived brothers are dying in Cabo Delgado, victims of the war because they believed they were going to have a job.”

According to Minister Chume, many young people tricked with job promises “are being taken to Cabo Delgado to join the terrorists” and when they arrive in the province they are “forced to kill and destroy Mozambican heritage” along with the insurgents there.

Military registration

The Defence Minister also asked the young people to sign up for the military registration, which runs from this Tuesday until 28 February, noting that it is their responsibility to defend “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of their country.

“Don’t wait for citizens of other nations to come to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity because the country is ours,” he declared.

The Ministry of Defence expects to register 221,140 young people this year, more than the 220,000 registered in 2022. The exercise is aimed at creating a database that can be used to recruit forces as required.

Cabo Delgado province has been facing an armed insurgency for five years, with responsibility for some attacks claimed by a local affiliate of the extremist group Islamic State.

The insurgency has since July 2021 been countered by a military response with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that has regained control of districts next to major natural gas projects. But new waves of attacks have emerged in the south of the region and in the neighboring province of Nampula.

The conflict has already displaced one million people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and killed around 4,000, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.

Source: Lusa