Maputo highlights the importance of Pretoria’s support for the SADC mission in Cabo Delgado

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Maputo highlights the importance of Pretoria’s support for the SADC mission in Cabo Delgado

5:19 CAT | 23 Jun 2023

Photo: Twitter / @DIRCO_ZA

The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, Manuel Gonçalves, on Wednesday underlined the importance of South Africa’s support within the framework of the regional response to terrorism in Cabo Delgado province.

“We want to reiterate our thanks to the people and government of South Africa,” said Manuel Gonçalves, after a meeting between Mozambican and South African diplomats in Maputo within the scope of the visit of South Africa’s Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mashego-Dlamini.

According to Manuel Gonçalves, despite the progress made since the arrival of forces from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Rwanda, the terrorist threat in Cabo Delgado, in the north of the country, prevails.

“We still continue to face some challenges arising from terrorist acts in some districts of Cabo Delgado, which constitute threats to peace and stability,” he said.

The deputy minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa said that her country would continue to support Mozambique in the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado, highlighting the “continuous efforts” to improve bilateral relations between the two countries.

“The SADC mission in Mozambique is producing good results, which must be protected,” she declared.

Cabo Delgado province has been facing an armed insurgency for five years with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.

The insurgency has led to a military response since July 2021 with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), liberating districts next to gas projects, but new waves of attacks have emerged in the south of the region and in the neighbouring province of Nampula.

The conflict has displaced around one million people, according to the United Nations, and killed around 4,000, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.

PHOTOS🇿🇦🇲🇿 | The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Candith Mashego-Dlamini, co-chairing the South Africa-Mozambique Midterm Review of the Bi-National Commission in Mozambique.#SAMozambiqueRelations🇿🇦🤝🇲🇿 pic.twitter.com/teC26RY8ZG

— DIRCO South Africa (@DIRCO_ZA) June 22, 2023