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Cabo Delgado insurgency: Russian military equipment arrives in Mozambique – Carta
11:09 CAT | 27 Sep 2019
Photo: Twitter
Two days after the President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence and Security Forces (FDS) acknowledging the seriousness of the drama in the northern part of Cabo Delgado province and, consequently, demanding from officers of the state forces the adoption of new methods to deal with the phenomenon, the FADM received, on Thursday morning, military equipment from the Russian Federation, ‘Carta de Moçambique’ reports.
According to the ‘Carta’ report, a Russian cargo plane was photographed yesterday morning unloading military material (namely large-calibre weapons and ammunition) at Nacala International Airport, in Nampula province.
There is no information about the operation, reads the ‘Carta’ report. Meanwhile, ‘Carta’ sources assured that the material, which was taken from the aircraft by Trans Ruccs Phoenix, a cargo transport company owned by Rui Chong Saw, former mayor of Nacala-Porto, was then transported in a Mozambican Air Force Antonov [helicopter] to Cabo Delgado province where, since October 5, 2017, an unidentified group has been terrorising the districts of Macomia, Mocimboa da Praia, Palma, Nangade, Quissanga, Muidumbe and Mecúfi.
The Ministry of National Defence (MDN) says it knows nothing about this matter. Contacted by ‘Carta de Moçambique’, the Ministry’s spokesperson Custódio Massingue said it was a novelty that the country received [the mentioned] Russian military support.
The Russian freighter arrives in the country a month after the Government approving, in a Council of Ministers (Cabinet) session, a resolution ratifying the agreement on the entry of Russian military ships into national ports, an agreement signed in April 2018 between the Defence Ministers of Mozambique, Atanasio M’tumuke, and Russia, Sergey Shoygu. At the time, Government spokeswoman Ana Comoane said the agreement was aimed at combating piracy, but without clarifying the type of piracy.
Meanwhile, sources linked to the case told ‘Carta’ that the equipment is not from the Russian Military Forces, but from a Russian private military company, called the ‘Wagner Group’, which operates in various regions around the world, namely in eastern Ukraine and in Syria.
According to the same ‘Carta’ sources, the Group has been in the country for just over a month and is based in three northern military barracks, namely Nacala (Nampula province), Macomia and Mueda (Cabo Delgado province). These sources also asserted that, contrary to what circulated a few days ago – that these men would be ‘in the ‘line of fire’ – they are in the barracks providing technical and tactical assistance to the Mozambican forces.
How many countries – and private individuals – are already involved in the Cabo Delgado conflict? https://t.co/dDPGeboh8N
— Zenaida Machado (@zenaidamz) September 26, 2019
Mozambique: Note the photos of Russian military equipment at Nacala airport. Helicopter equipped with some of the most advance technology – ie ISR Pod pic.twitter.com/MbrEyZq72O
— Jasmine Opperman (@Jasminechic00) September 26, 2019
Photos circulating on social media of Russians offloading military material at #Nacala airport in #Mozambique pic.twitter.com/Jwok31s3CI
— Eric Morier-Genoud (@emorier) September 26, 2019
Source: Carta de Moçambique
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