Minister admits “serious concern” over Cabo Delgado attacks – AIM report

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Minister admits “serious concern” over Cabo Delgado attacks – AIM report

8:18 CAT | 26 Feb 2020

Photo: Jornal de Angola

Mozambican Interior Minister Amade Miquidade has admitted that the terrorist attacks in parts of the northern province of Cabo Delgado are “a matter of serious concern”.

According to a report in Tuesday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Carta de Mocambique”, he was responding to questions from journalists in Luanda. The insurgents, he said, are “faceless individuals” who “do not identify themselves”.

“We do not know what they want, what makes them commit massacres”, said the Minister. “But there is no purpose that leads individuals to kill innocent people, to dismember these same victims, to burn down villages and attack health centres”.

Miquidade was sent as an envoy from Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, carrying a message to his Angola counterpart, Joao Lourenco.

Despite his admission of serious concern, Miquidade also claimed that the Mozambican defence and security forces are managing to keep the situation under control in those areas of Cabo Delgado affected by the insurgency.

Echoing remarks made last week by Nyusi, Miquidade claimed the insurgents have financial support from inside and outside Mozambique. The raiders “are operating with sophisticated resources”, he said.

Asked to reveal which nationalities are taking part in the attacks, he said he did not want to go into detail, but there was no doubt that “somebody from outside is financing these activities”.

Questioned as to whether the message from Nyusi concerned the situation in Cabo Delgado, Miquidade said that cooperation in defence and security requires the exchange of information.

“We are proposing strengthened cooperation”, he said. “This is not the first time that an envoy from the President has been sent in the area of defence and security, and we hope that tomorrow, or in a month’s time, a delegation from Angola will come to Mozambique”.

Source: AIM