Mozambique: President promises to keep all land recovered from rebels – Watch

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Mozambique: President promises to keep all land recovered from rebels – Watch

10:03 CAT | 04 Aug 2023

Screen grab: TVM

Mozambique’s president, Filipe Nyusi, promised on Thursday that the armed defence and security forces would preserve the territorial integrity of every point recovered from the rebels in Cabo Delgado.

“We will preserve our independence, maintaining Mozambique as a sovereign country in its territorial fullness, one and indivisible”, declared Filipe Nyusi, speaking to people in Palma, during a symbolic ceremony to reopen the facilities of the Millennium BIM bank, one of the largest in the country and which is majority owned by the Portuguese BCP Africa (Millennium BCP group).

Palma was the target of one of the most media attacks carried out by the rebels who have been terrorising Cabo Delgado province for almost six years, when on 24 March 2021, the insurgents invaded the headquarters of that district, causing dozens of deaths and injuries, as well as the flight of thousands of people.

According to Filipe Nyusi, the efforts of government forces, with the support of members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Rwanda, have returned tranquillity to several recovered points, with emphasis on the district of Palma.

“Today, the town of Palma has some stability from the terrorist threat that plagued it. However, we will not falter to defend this part of our country. We are ready to rebuild and expand with new construction as we make up for lost time,” Nyusi said, stressing the importance of vigilance among communities.

“Continue to help us to definitely isolate this group,” the head of state emphasised, calling on Mozambicans who are on the side of the rebels to return to consciousness.

Palma hosts the natural gas exploitation project led by TotalEnergies, the largest private investment in Africa (around €20bn), which has since been suspended due to insecurity in the region.

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Cabo Delgado province has been facing an armed insurgency for almost six years, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.

The armed insurgency has led to a military response since July 2021, with support from SADC and Rwanda, liberating districts near gas projects, but new isolated attacks have emerged south of the region and in neighbouring Nampula province.

The conflict has displaced one million people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and claimed around 4,000 lives, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.

Watch the TVM report.