Jihadist attack in Mozambique: questions surrounding SADC military intervention

Thousands of people fled the city of Palma after the jihadist attack at the end of March.

Many have found refuge in the town of Pemba, in the province of Cabo Delgado.

AFP - ALFREDO ZUNIGA

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

Immediately deploying 3,000 troops in northern Mozambique to fight terrorists is one of the avenues mentioned in a leaked report that should be discussed at an extraordinary summit of SADC, the Development Community. from southern Africa, scheduled for April 28-29.

A regional military response after the jihadist assault on the city of Palma at the end of March in the province of Cabo Delgado.

Since then, the security situation has not improved, forcing the Total group to announce the withdrawal of all its staff from the Afungi gas site on Monday.

The observation mission proposing this military deployment fears a resurgence of attacks after the month of Ramadan  

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With our correspondent in Johannesburg

,

Romain Chanson

They want to go fast and deploy everywhere.

Military experts in the region offer air control with the help of several combat helicopters, maritime space surveillance with ships and a submarine, and a ground presence with around 100 special forces at the front. . 

In total, nearly 3,000 soldiers would be mobilized.

Their plan is articulated as follows: establishment of the headquarters, far south, in the port city of Nacala.

Then progress to the north and the combat zones to regain ground. 

Objective: to retake the port city of Mocimboa a Praia, which has been occupied since August 2020. These recommendations come from an assessment mission commissioned during the last SADC summit in early April. 

The decision will be up to the presidents of South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe.

Without forgetting, the first concerned, the president of Mozambique.

In the past Filipe Nyusi had refused the intervention of foreign soldiers on his soil.

A question of national sovereignty, he said.

The extraordinary SADC summit opens this Wednesday, April 28 in Maputo with a meeting of the ministerial committee responsible for defense and security issues.

Followed Thursday by the meeting of heads of state or their representatives from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. 

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  • Mozambique

  • South Africa

  • Botswana

  • Zimbabwe

  • Filipe Nyusi