Mozambique: Government working with neighbours to combat armed groups in north

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Mozambique: Government working with neighbours to combat armed groups in north

5:33 CAT | 02 Aug 2018

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Mozambique’s president, Filipe Nyusi, said on Thursday that the government is cooperating with neighbouring countries to combat the armed groups behind the attacks on some districts of Cabo Delgado province, in the north.

“We are working with several countries to end this problem,” said Filipe Nyusi, addressing a rally in the district of Mutarara, Tete province.

The head of state noted that Mozambique’s neighbours are concerned about the wave of violence sweeping the north of the country since October.

“They are concerned because some are also going through the same situation,” he declared.

Nyusi urged young people not to believe vague promises of employment, recalling that many end up being forced to join criminal organisations.

“Many young people think they will be working and then don’t come back, because they are forced to commit criminal acts,” the president said.

Dozens of people have been killed in a wave of violence across Cabo Delgado province, for which armed groups inspired by radical Islam have been blamed.

Independent researchers take the view that the leaders of these groups are involved in the trafficking of natural resources – above all timber – and mask this fact with their calls to establish Islamic fundamentalism in the region, which has a large Muslim population.