Mozambique: President highlights gradual return to normality in Cabo Delgado

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Mozambique: President highlights gradual return to normality in Cabo Delgado

6:33 CAT | 28 Jun 2024

Photo: Presidente Filipe Nyusi / Facebook

Mozambique’s president on Thursday highlighted a “gradual return to normality” in Cabo Delgado, a province affected by an armed insurgency since 2017, reiterating that the rebel groups currently have no base in the region.

“With the support of the military mission of the Southern African Development Community [SADC] and Rwanda, we were able to resolve the serious problem we had (…). All the towns and villages that were occupied have been recovered, and we don’t know of a fixed base at the moment for the terrorists,” declared Filipe Nyusi during a meeting with his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema, as part of a working visit that began today to that African country.

Although without a “fixed base”, said the Mozambican head of state, the rebel groups in Cabo Delgado continue to carry out some attacks.

“They operate like nomads, flitting from one corner to another. Indeed, they always make an attack there to show that they exist, but the populations are returning to their areas of origin, rebuilding their homes, and the business sector. We hope that this recovery continues, even for the mega-projects that are taking place in the region,” added Filipe Nyusi, who reiterated that although the SADC forces are in retreat, the situation in terms of stability is positive.

Cabo Delgado has been facing an armed rebellion since October 2017, with attacks claimed by movements associated with the extremist group Islamic State.

The last major attack took place on 10 and 11 May in the district headquarters of Macomia, with around a hundred insurgents looting the town, causing several deaths and heavy fighting with the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces.

People in other districts of the province have reported the movement of these groups of insurgents, who cause panic as they pass through the forests, but there have been no reports of clashes at a time when farmers are trying to carry out harvest work in the fields.

The President of Mozambique said on 16 June that the actions of the various defence forces had made it possible to wipe out “practically all” of the bases of the terrorist groups operating in Cabo Delgado, which are now limited to “walking in the bush”.

Filipe Nyusi’s visit to Zambia, which borders Mozambique through the province of Tete (centre), aims to strengthen cooperation between the countries, especially in the port, tourism, and energy sectors. Several memoranda are due to be signed.

Source: Lusa