Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambique’s president, Filipe Nyusi, on Thursday called on young soldiers to make “a commitment to the homeland” in their mission to combat armed groups in Cabo Delgado, in the north of the country, stressing the importance of young people defending the country’s sovereignty.
Nyusi made the exhortation in a message delivered on the occasion of the International Youth Day, which is marked this Thursday.
“We hope that, like the youth of 25 September 1964 [who fought against Portuguese colonialism], our contemporary youth will increasingly commit themselves to the cause of our homeland,” Nyusi said in his message.
The president called on the country’s youth to mobilise in defence of sovereignty, drawing inspiration from the centuries-old resistance against foreign domination.
Another battle front, he said, is the elimination of poverty and hunger and progress towards prosperity.
Nyusi challenged young people to work for the “increase of national food production, towards zero hunger, thus making hunger a narrative of the past in Mozambique.”
Armed groups have terrorised Cabo Delgado province since 2017, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.
The attacks have claimed more than 3,100 live, according to the ACLED conflict registration project, and more than 817,000 people displaced, according to the Mozambique authorities.
The government’s fight against the insurgents has seen progress, with the recovery of the strategic town of Mocímboa da Praia on Sunday during a joint operation with Rwandan forces.
The town was invaded and occupied by the rebels on 23 March 2020, in an action later claimed by the jihadist group Islamic State.
In addition to a contingent of 1,000 Rwandan military and police, the fight against the insurgents on Monday received a reinforcement in the form of military personnel from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), whose number is not yet known.
