Mozambique: State has ‘at no time refused international aid’ against terrorism in Cabo Delgado – president

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: State has ‘at no time refused international aid’ against terrorism in Cabo Delgado – president

8:14 CAT | 19 May 2021

Photo: Lusa

President Filipe Nyusi said today in Paris that the fight against terrorism “is not conducted alone”, and that Mozambique has not “at any time” refused international support in the face of attacks in the north of the country

“Terrorism cannot be fought alone, and Mozambique has at no time refused support. In fact, Portugal is in Mozambique with a team of young people who are working with the Defence Forces, as also [are] American countries and African countries,” the Mozambican head of state told journalists at the end of his meeting with Portuguese prime minister António Costa.

According to Nyusi, “the next phase depends on contact between countries, what each country has to offer”.

Also read: Mozambique’s response to insurgency perplexes neighbours – Bloomberg

The Mozambican president will this Tuesday participate in the Summit on the Future of African Economies hosted by President Emmanuel Macron in the French capital, bringing together more than 20 African and European leaders.

For his part, António Costa said that Portugal is “available to join” military forces or other forms of support for Mozambique decided within the European Union.

“The European Union is currently generating forces for a technical and training team in Mozambique and we are available to integrate other forces and other support that may be necessary,” the Portuguese prime minister underlined.

Filipe Nyusi also has a bilateral meeting scheduled with President Emmanuel Macron of France, and is then going to attend the Summit on the Future of African Economies, with a delegation which includes the ministers of Finance, of Foreign Affairs and of Energy and Mineral resources.

Armed groups have terrorised Cabo Delgado since 2017, with some attacks claimed by the jihadist group Islamic State, in a wave of violence that has already caused more than 2,500 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project, and displaced 714,000 people, according to the Mozambican government.
The most recent attack, on March 24, was carried out against the town of Palma, causing dozens of deaths and injuries in numbers yet to be ascertained.

Mozambican authorities regained control of the town, but the attack led oil company Total to indefinitely abandon the main construction site of the gas project scheduled to start production in 2024, on which many of Mozambique’s expectations for economic growth in the next decade are based.

Source: Lusa