Mozambique Elections: Renamo accuses Nyusi of pushing it into war - AIM
President Nyusi was speaking on the sidelines of the AU Summit, taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.[Screen grab: TV Sucesso Moz]
The President of Mozambique on Sunday expressed his discomfort with France’s appeal to its citizens not to travel to Cabo Delgado, in the north of the country, due to the “terrorist threat”, and even spoke of an agenda.
“Every country has an agenda and the agenda is aligned and included. There must be some reason why an announcement was made,” said Filipe Nyusi, on the sidelines of the African Union summit, which is taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Mozambican head of state said that it was to be expected that the French authorities, given their friendship with Mozambique, would decide to support and work with Maputo to combat the terrorist threat.
The French Embassy in Mozambique is appealing to French citizens not to travel to the towns of Mocímboa da Praia, Pemba and Palma, in Cabo Delgado (north), due to the “terrorist threat”.
“Due to the presence of a terrorist and kidnapping threat in the towns of Mocímboa da Praia, Pemba and Palma, it is strongly recommended not to travel to these towns, as well as to travel on the roads linking these towns,” reads a message to travellers published on Wednesday by the French Embassy in Maputo.
In the same reaction, Filipe Nyusi said that the statement comes at a time when the country is “working hard to prove to the world that Mozambique is committed to its partners in the fight against terrorism”.
The French multinational TotalEnergies is planning to build a plant near Palma to produce and export natural gas, valued at US$20 billion (around €18.6 billion), but the work has been suspended since 2021 due to the terrorist attacks.
“The situation is not as it was,” said the head of state, guaranteeing that this new wave of attacks is the result of the actions of a few people.
“The country will not stop, the world cannot stop,” he said.
READ: Mozambique: France issues travel advice for Cabo Delgado – Lusa
Mozambique: France places Cabo Delgado on its red map – AIM report
#Mozambique Province de Cabo Delgado – Menaces terroriste et d’enlèvement (Publié le 14/02/2024) En raison de la présence d’une menace terroriste et d’enlèvement dans les villes de Mocimboa da Praia, de Pemb… https://t.co/LSKZAtWltv
— Conseils Voyageurs (@ConseilsVoyages) February 14, 2024
In recent weeks there have been reports of attacks by insurgent groups in various villages and on the roads of Cabo Delgado, including approaches to vehicles, kidnapping of drivers and demands for money from the public to drive on some roads.
On Wednesday, the extremist group Islamic State (“IS”) claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack in Macomia, Cabo Delgado, which killed at least 20 people, one of the most violent in several months.
Through propaganda channels, the terrorist group documented, with images, the attack on a position of the Mozambican armed forces, carrying war material, and also claimed another attack in Chiúre.
The district administrator of Macomia, Tomás Badae, confirmed on Monday that insurgent groups operating in Cabo Delgado attacked a Defence and Security Forces (FDS) position in the district between Friday night and dawn on Saturday.
It happened at the administrative post of Mucojo, 45 kilometres from the district headquarters of Macomia: “Yes, they took the position and raided it, but we don’t have any more information on whether they are still there or have already left.”
On Tuesday, an attack, also claimed by IS, was confirmed in the Chiúre district, with the destruction of several infrastructures and churches. The target was the headquarters of the Mazeze administrative post, in the interior of Chiúre district, where the rebels set fire to the hospital, the administrative post office and the residence of the head of the administrative post, said the Chiúre district administrator.
“The infrastructure is basically destroyed,” said Oliveira Amimo, adding that the rebels destroyed the chapel belonging to the Catholic Church.
READ: Mozambique: Terrorists occupy Quissanga town – AIM
Mozambique: Missionaries, priests and nuns are fleeing to Pemba – Lusa
Cabo Delgado province has been facing attacks claimed by IS for six years, which has led to a military response since July 2021, with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community ( SADC), liberating districts near the gas projects.
After a period of relative stability, new attacks and movements have been recorded in Cabo Delgado in recent weeks, although locally the authorities suspect that the movement is linked to persecution imposed by the defence and security forces in the districts of Macomia, Quissanga and Muidumbe, among the most affected.
Watch the TV Sucesso report.
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