Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Friday warned senior military and police officers that he does not want to hear any complaints about corrupt or lazy platoon commanders, or those who “lead desertion” within the tanks of the defence forces.
Nyusi issued his warning at the closing ceremony of a course for sergeants and platoon commanders at the Oswaldo Tazama Sergeants’ School, in Nhamatanda district, in the central province of Sofala.
“It is the platoon commander who maintains high morale”, said Nyusi. “I want competent platoon commanders, commanders who do not vacillate, and who do not retreat when they should not do so”.
He told the course graduates that they will face many obstacles, and must know how to adapt immediately in coordinating strategies and overcoming challenges with courage, humanism, and cordiality.
The platoon commanders, Nyusi stressed, “are our hope in the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado”, These new graduates should not merely add to the numbers of the defence force, but should “above all, add science and human and universal values, and drive initiatives which ensure national unity and peace and harmony among Mozambicans”.
“I don’t want corrupt or lazy commanders, or those who command desertions”, he said. It is imperative that a platoon commander should know his men well, and should master all the means of combat to be applied, in order to guarantee greater efficiency on the battlefield”.
Addressing the sergeants, Nyusi said they are the backbone of the police force. They have the mission to structure, organize and impose discipline among the policemen they control.
“You are trained to keep morale high among those you command, imbued with the spirit of patriotism, and aware of your mission in the chain of command”, he added. The fact that sergeants are an intermediate category between officers and the rank-and-file meant that sergeants must guarantee permanent, effective and professional communication, between the operational and strategic levels, allowing full implementation of the fight against crime.
Nyusi said the defence and security forces, with their allies from Rwanda and the countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), have inflicted major blows against the terrorists who have been active in the northern province of Cabo Delgado since October 2017.
He told the graduates they would have the task to consolidate the victories won against the terrorists. “You will be in the rearguard with your platoons, in all the areas delivered to you to maintain the tranquility of the population.”
Of the 677 course graduates, 209 were sergeants and 468 were platoon commanders.
Watch the TVM report.
