Mozambique: Security re-established in around 90% of Cabo Delgado – army

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Mozambique: Security re-established in around 90% of Cabo Delgado – army

11:01 CAT | 21 Dec 2023

in file CoM

Security has been re-established in around 90% of Cabo Delgado province, in northern Mozambique, according to an army commander, who argued that the conditions are in place for the return of private companies to the region, including France’s TotalEnergies, which had suspended work on a major natural gas project.

“I would say that at the moment we are at 90 per cent of total clarification” of the situation, said Tiago Nampele, at a news conference held on Tuesday in Mocímboa da Praia, one of the parts of Cabo Delgado worst affected by rebel attacks in recent years.

According to the commander, the rebels had been spread across the districts of Palma, Nangade, Quissanga, Macomia, Muidumbe and Mocímboa da Praia, but are now concentrated “in a single point” in the province.

“The forces on the ground at the moment fully guarantee that the companies can return, especially Total,” added Nampele.

TotalEnergies leads the Area 1 consortium, with an investment of around €20 billion foreseen in gas exploration in the region.

Work on the project was suspended indefinitely after an armed attack on Palma in March 2021, when the French company declared that it would only return when the area was safe.

Nampele said that government forces are now deploying to reinforce security in the coastal area of the province.

“We are designing yet another operation, which is to deploy our troops along the coast with a single objective: to deny terrorists access to the sea,” he explained. “What we realise is that the logistics come from the sea.”

The province has been plagued by an armed insurgency for six years, with responsibility for some attacks claimed by a loal affiliate of the extremist group Islamic State.

The insurgency brought a military response that since July 2021 has been supported by Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community, which has made it possible to liberate districts near the gas projects. However, fresh waves of isolated attacks have emerged in the south of the region and in the neighbouring province of Nampula.

The conflict has already displaced around one million people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and caused around 4,000 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.

Source: Lusa