Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Mozambican President, Filipe Nyusi, on Friday called the joint work of Rwandan and Mozambican troops in fighting insurgency in Cabo Delgado an example for Africa.
“This is an example for Africa in which two forces work and on the sidelines they also have another force from our friends in the region. But there is full coordination that enables great work,” Nyusi said as he received Rwandan President Paulo Kagame in Pemba.
Nyusi was speaking at the naval base in the provincial capital of Cabo Delgado where the two heads of state greeted troops from the two countries at the beginning of a two-day visit by Kagame to northern Mozambique.
In July, Rwanda sent 1,000 soldiers and police with equipment and arms to the northern province of Cabo Delgado, and in early August, the reconquest of Mocímboa da Praia, a port town seized by rebels a year ago, was announced.
Other areas are gradually being liberated, insurgent bases dismantled and civilians rescued from the bush.
Nyusi thanked Rwanda for the way its troops took the Mozambican people as family, respecting them and giving them humanitarian support.
The President of the Republic, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, greeted this afternoon, September 24, the Rwandan troops who, in coordination with our Defense and Security Forces (FDS), in Cabo Delgado.
Paul Kagame thanked the joint force for succeeding in liberating “the areas that were in the hands of terrorists in Cabo Delgado” and said another task lies ahead.
“Another task begins. We have already managed to liberate those places” where insecurity reigned.
“The task that will now begin is to keep [safe] the areas already liberated to allow reconstruction and the return of the residents,” the Rwandan President said.
The Mozambican colleagues “are going to stay ahead and show how” one can “garrison those zones,” he added.
“We have to continue the collaboration with our Mozambican colleagues,” he reiterated, stressing the situation of families who have lost everything and need reconstruction to go ahead, but without talking about the extent of Rwanda’s mission or addressing other details.
In the first speeches in Pemba, the moment was marked above all by greetings.
The Rwandan head of state left a word for “other countries” that are also on the ground – in a reference to the military mission of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) -, pointing out that Rwanda was one of those asked to “work together to liberate the areas under the control of the terrorists”.
Paul Kagame will take part, as a guest of honour, in the celebrations of 25 September, Mozambique’s Armed Defence Forces Day.
In Pemba, the two statesmen will hold official talks to analyse bilateral cooperation between Mozambique and Rwanda, as well as “review matters of common interest, of the region and the continent,” according to the programme released today.
Cabo Delgado is a province rich in natural gas but terrorised since 2017 by armed rebels, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.
The conflict has led to more than 3,100 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project, and more than 817,000 displaced people, according to Mozambican authorities.
Since July, an offensive by government troops with support from Rwanda, which was later joined by SADC, allowed for an increase in security, recovering several areas where there was a rebel presence, including the town of Mocímboa da Praia, which this week returned to public power.
