Mozambique, Rwanda and SADC military commands define counter-terrorist strategies in Cabo Delgado

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Mozambique, Rwanda and SADC military commands define counter-terrorist strategies in Cabo Delgado
Mozambique, Rwanda and SADC military commands define counter-terrorist strategies in Cabo Delgado

Africa-PressMozambique. The Mozambican army says that all known terrorists bases in Cabo Delgado have been identified and dismantled.

The guarantee was given by the commander of the Mozambican armed forces Cristóvão Chume during a meeting of the commands of the forces involved in the military operations this Wednesday, October 13, in Mocímboa da Praia, Cabo Delgado province,

The military leaders of the forces of Mozambique, Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met for more than four hours to consider the situation in the northern operational theatre, envision future actions and, above all, improve the ability to coordinate in the fight against violent extremism.

“In Palma district, and also in Mocimboa da Praia district, approximately 100% of the known bases of the enemy were occupied by joint Mozambican and Rwandan troops. There is no formally known base that still prevails or is in an area under terrorist control. The area of operations assigned to SAMIM (the SADC force), which is Macomia, Muidumbe and Nangade, also presents itself in the same way. There is no formal knowledge, as of now, of a base that has been identified before and that has not been occupied by our forces,” said Cristóvão Chume, commander of the Mozambican Army, who nevertheless said that the fight against the terrorists was not over.

“We still continue to find the theatre of operations complex, as we still have areas where the enemy, in groups of six, seven or eight people attack, burning villages and killing defenceless citizens. So, as long as this situation prevails, we cannot consider the theatre of operations free from the enemy. But the situation that prevailed until the end of June, in which the enemy had an initiative to attack our forces, to attack and occupy spaces such as villages, and everything else – is no longer the same,” Chume said.

Chume reiterated that the objective now was to cut the enemy’s lines of communication between their hideouts and places where there is a possibility of getting food.

“That’s what we’re working on right now,” he announced.

The military leaders of Mozambique, Rwanda and the SADC decided to establish a new joint command of operations, which will be led by Maputo and which will include teams involving elements from all sides.

The commander of the Mozambican army admitted that the war could “take a year, two years, three years”.

“What we want is the total annihilation of the enemy. If this only takes a week, we will be satisfied. But what we are going to do is [ensure] that the suffering of our people is not prolonged for long periods of time. That’s what we discussed,” said Cristóvão Chume, without revealing how many terrorists had been captured or killed.

He concluded by saying only that all those who terrorised Cabo Delgado would be eliminated.

By

Francisco Junior

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