Africa-Press – Mozambique. Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) spokesman Ronald Rwivanga on Monday hailed the capture of the port city of MocÃmboa da Praia, which he said was “essential for the survival of the insurgents” and where they were planning operations.
“It was essential for the survival of the insurgents, because you could say it is a strategic site – it has the airport, it has a hospital and several buildings that would be important for the insurgents,” Rwivanga told Lusa by phone about the operation that on Sunday recaptured the town of MocÃmboa da Praia in Cabo Delgado province.
“It was a critical bastion for the insurgents, until we captured it, and it was the place where they were planning their operations,” the colonel pointed out, adding that, “in tactical terms, it was like their centre.”
Rwivanga also mentioned that the joint offensive by Mozambique and Rwanda has disrupted the insurgents, and they “are now in pockets”.
“They have not disappeared completely, but they are in pockets,” he recounted.
According to Ronald Rwivanga, the plan for the Rwandan presence in Cabo Delgado has four phases: conducting combat operations to drive the insurgents away from captured locations, conducting security operations to “ensure the consolidation of gains”, stabilisation, where civilians are given a “certain confidence” in the security of the region, and finally “a reform of the security sector”.
Despite appearing last, Rwivanga suggested that security sector reform can start now.
“We can start security sector reform simultaneously with other operations, we can even start today. It’s all about training and mental training and leaving the forces with confidence in their operations,” the Rwandan spokesman said.
On Sunday, Rwanda had announced the recovery of the northern port town of MocÃmboa da Praia, which had been captured by rebels.
The coastal town of MocÃmboa da Praia, by many pointed out as the insurgents’ “base”, is one of the main towns in the north of Cabo Delgado province, located 70 kilometres south of the construction area of the natural gas exploration project led by several international oil companies and led by Total.
The town had been invaded and occupied for a day by rebels on 23 March last year, in an action later claimed by the ‘jihadist’ group Islamic State, and was, on 27 and 28 June of that year, the scene of long clashes between government forces and insurgent groups, which led to the flight of a considerable part of the population.
Since the beginning of the month, the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces have had the support of a thousand Rwandan soldiers and police officers to fight the armed groups, under a bilateral agreement between the Mozambican government and the Kigali authorities.
Armed groups have terrorised Cabo Delgado province since 2017, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.
Following the attacks, there are more than 3,100 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project, and more than 817,000 displaced people, according to Mozambican authorities.
