Mozambique: Defence Forces must prepare to work without foreign support

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Mozambique: Defence Forces must prepare to work without foreign support

8:51 CAT | 23 Nov 2023

Photo: Ministério da Defesa Nacional - Moçambique /Facebook

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Wednesday warned that the defence and security forces must be ready to work without foreign support, once the forces from Rwanda and SAMIM (SADC Mission in Mozambique) withdraw.

Speaking at the opening of a meeting of the Coordinating Council of the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM), Nyusi said the defence sector must take concrete and strategic decisions for the fight against terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, once the SAMIM and Rwandan forces have left.

“Decisions should come out of this coordinating council about the armed forces’ capacity of response for the fight against terrorism, in the period after the withdrawal of the allied forces”, he said. “To this end, your reflection should also assess how to capitalise on our wealth of reservists, involving them directly or indirectly in the various missions supporting the defence of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country”.

Nyusi criticized the command of the reservists. “We have here a command of reservists, which is almost invisible, because we have never felt its impact”, he said. “Even the veterans of the national liberation struggle are setting an example, since they are proving to be useful even after 40 or more years, They may not be directly involved on the ground, but there is a great deal that the reservists can do”.

As for the Mozambican Civic Service (an alternative for young Mozambicans who are not recruited into the military), Nyusi demanded that it should contribute actively in the reconstruction of the infrastructures destroyed by the terrorists and by natural disasters.

“We want a sustainable Civic Service”, said Nyusi, “one that is able to generate income so as to support the defence sector, taking the greatest advantage of the various initiatives that the Government has been promoting”.

“The Civic Service should exploit the various income-raising areas, such as agriculture, fisheries, livestock, mining and construction, thus alleviating the sector from its dependence on the State Budget”, he added.

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