Mozambique: Partners give positive indications for fighting terrorism – AIM report

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Mozambique: Partners give positive indications for fighting terrorism – AIM report

9:34 CAT | 20 Nov 2020

Photo: Presidency of the Republic

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said on Wednesday that work is underway with European, American, and Asian, as well as with Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, to support the country’s efforts to defeat terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Armando Guebuza Higher Institute for Defence Studies (ISEDEF) in Maputo, Nyusi said that, despite Mozambique’s willingness to receive any sort of support to fight terrorism, there are so far no concrete indications of what form of aid will be given.

“We are open to receive any type of support to fight the terrorists”, he said. “We have been working at bilateral level with Europe, America, Asia and SADC and there are positive indications from the answers we have been receiving.

ISEDEF, Nyusi said, is like a laboratory of excellence for training officers who will face the country’s growing threats, either the jihadist terrorism in Cabo Delgado or the attacks by the breakaway faction of the main opposition party that calls itself the “Renamo Military Junta”.

Regarding the attacks in the central provinces of Manica and Sofala, Nyusi said it is obvious that the Renamo Military Junta has no interest in peace and is not even ready for a dialogue. He warned everyone in the region to remain vigilant and ordered the defence and security forces to use every means within their power to protect civilians.

“Attacks are ongoing in the central region”, he said. “On Tuesday, for instance, they staged two attacks in Manica province, where they targeted three Mozambicans citizens, one of whom was seriously injured. Later on, they carried out another attack in Bunga locality, where they shot up a vehicle and caused damage. This is a clear indication that there are people destabilising the country.”

On 24 October, Nyusi offered a unilateral, seven day truce in the war with the military junta. The offer was spurned, and the junta, led by Mariano Nhongo, made no attempt to speak, either with the government, or with the Renamo leadership. Nhongo refuses to recognise Renamo President Ossufo Momade, although he was democratically elected at a Renamo congress held in January 2019.

Nyusi also announced that the time has come to rotate the military and police units fighting the terrorists in Cabo Delgado and the Military Junta in Manica and Sofala.

The move, he said, will give an opportunity to other youngsters to carry out their studies and lend a new momentum to the military offensives in the affected regions.

“We have to release the military officers who have been in the war zones for so long,” stressed Nyusi, pointing out that the time has come for the newly-graduated officers to be sent into the combat zones.

Source: AIM