Mozambique: Chinese military equipment boost for SAMIM – defenceWeb

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Mozambique: Chinese military equipment boost for SAMIM – defenceWeb

11:54 CAT | 10 Feb 2022

SA Air Force Oryx medium transport helicopter in Mozambique.

SAMIM (Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique) will, during the course of the year, receive as yet unspecified Chinese military aid.

The African Union (AU) said in a communique issued post a meeting by its Peace and Security Council (PSC) that the regional bloc mission, widely reported as being under-equipped and manned, would “provide substantial additional equipment from the second batch of military aid” being donated by the Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC) to the AU to support the efforts of SAMIM.

The “aid” is not specified in the communique, which states it is made to the continental body. No delivery date is given with the communique only stating it is “expected to be delivered to Nakala (Nacala) port in Mozambique during 2022”. The north coast city port is the deepest natural harbour on Africa’s east coast.

SAMIM can expect other assistance, also in the form of equipment, from the continental body. Again, the PSC communique gives no detail, apart from stating “required equipment already identified at the Continental Logistics Base (CLB) in Douala, Cameroon” will support SAMIM and ensure effective implementation of SAMIM’s mandate and tasks.

The PSC further appeals to all AU member states “as well as the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU) and the broader international community to extend support to SAMIM and Mozambique through provision of requisite materials, technical and financial resources”.

SAMIM presently comprises troops from eight SADC countries – Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. A thousand-strong contingent from Rwanda is also in the east African country supporting the Forças Armadas de Defesa de Moçambique (FADM) in an ongoing effort to remove ASWJ (Al Sunnah Wa Jama’ah) from Cabo Delgado.

SAMIM has been in the east African country for over six months and will remain there for an as yet unspecified period of time. This is as per a decision of the SADC Heads of State and Government Summit last month.

Source: defenceWeb