New Secretary of State: “The hope of an entire people rests upon Cabo Delgado”

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New Secretary of State: “The hope of an entire people rests upon Cabo Delgado”

2:46 CAT | 14 Jun 2021

António Supeia with Minister of State Administration and Civil Service Ana Comoane. [Photo: DW]

Cabo Delgado province, in northern Mozambique, has a new secretary of state, in the person of António Njanje Taimo Supeia. The management of the humanitarian crisis caused by terrorism will be one of his main challenges.

António Njanje Taimo Supeia took office on Friday, June 11, as Secretary of State for Cabo Delgado. In his inaugural speech in the city of Pemba, Supeia highlighted terrorism as one of the main obstacles to improving living conditions in the north of the country.

“We will give the matter the attention it deserves, working in close articulation with our brave Defence and Security Forces, stationed in the Northern Operational Theatre,” he said.

Insurgent attacks in the north of the country began in 2017 and plunged the province into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. More than 700,000 people were forced to flee their homes.
The new secretary of state promised to continue the projects for the development of the province initiated by his predecessor.

“Cabo Delgado is not only the stage for the enormous and well-publicised challenges that the country is now experiencing,” Supeia said. “It is also a land of opportunity, upon which the hope of an entire people rests, to reap the indirect and direct gains from mega-projects for the exploitation of liquefied natural gas and also from the exploitation of significant reserves of rubies, graphite, gold and other mineral resources prized around the world.”

Ngungaa.dw_ — *Armindo Ngunga, now ADIN chairman., at the hand over. [Photo: DW]*

Former Secretary of State at ADIN

Supeia succeeds Armindo Ngunga, who was in charge of the province’s destinies for 15 months. Among the former leader’s legacy is the creation of resettlement villages for those displaced by terrorist attacks and the victims of Cyclone Kenneth.

Now appointed to head the Northern Integrated Development Agency (ADIN) in the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Niassa, Ngunga used the occasion to thank those involved in the execution of his mission for their support.

“It was a great pleasure and a high honour to meet everyone, to be a member and helmsman of this team and share the good and bad moments. I will miss each and every one [of you],” he said.
caption – António Supeia signs term of acceptance of power

The challenges of the new ruler

Analyst Emerson Ubisse believes that the new incumbent should capitalise on the experience of the outgoing secretary of state, especially with regard to the management of IDPs (internally displaced persons).

According to Ubisse, one of Supeia’s main challenges will be mobilising support from international donors, specifically “to capture the interest and attention of United Nations agencies and all sources of resources to support humanitarian actions” in Cabo Delgado.

Supeia has three other major challenges ahead, Ubisse says. These are: addressing the social and economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic; improving the quality of public services to meet the current displacement scenario, and; making the province more resilient to climate change.

Source: Deutsche Welle