Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Minister of National Defence, Jaime Neto, says there is no sense of discomfort among the countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) due to the arrival in Mozambique of Rwandan troops before the organisation’s joint force to combat terrorism.
Jaime Neto was reacting to suggestions of alleged discomfort within the SADC at the prior arrival of the Rwandan troops in the country.
The defence minister said in Beira on Sunday afternoon that SADC members were aware of the arrival of Rwandan troops, not least because it had been agreed that Mozambique was free to seek bilateral support.
Minister Neto told journalists that Rwanda’s support was evidence of the cooperative relationship between the two countries, reaffirming that Mozambique would remain free to receive support from any country in the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado.
Jaime Neto announced that a team of four SADC military officers from Botswana had been in Pemba since Saturday [July 10] laying the logistical groundwork for the arrival of the organisation’s soldiers on Thursday, 15 July.
