Mozambique: Rwandan and Mozambican forces advance in insurgent strongholds

Rwandan police and soldiers from the Rwandan Defense Forces (FDR) embarked on a military mission in Mozambique, at Kanombe airport, Kigali, Rwanda, July 10, 2021. AFP - SIMON WOHLFAHRT

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

In Mozambique, Rwandan and Mozambican forces are advancing in strongholds of Al-Shabab insurgents in the Cabo Delgado region. Last month, Kigali announced the dispatch of a thousand men, military and police, to the area. in support of Maputo's efforts to repel the attacks and the rise of these jihadist groups, responsible for the large-scale attack on the city of Palma which, last March, interrupted a 16.8 million gas mega-project billion euros, operated by the French Total.

Today the Rwandan army takes stock of the operations carried out and in progress with the Mozambican army.

Publicity

Read more

Deployed in the districts of Palma and Mocimboa da Praia, the Rwandan army claims to have retaken last week, with the Mozambican forces, the town of Awasse, and to have pushed back the insurgents in their main bastion in the port city of Mocimboa da Praia, target of an imminent assault.

“ 

This city is very important for the supply of the enemy.

The fighting is therefore likely to be more intense than what we have known so far in other places, and certainly longer

 , ”declared Colonel Ronald Rwivanga, spokesman for the Rwandan army.

In addition to the military operations, the Rwandans, soldiers and police, plan to contribute to the stabilization of areas taken from the insurgents.

" 

We will do the maintenance of order, security operations, patrols, and then the reform of the security sector, that is to say that we will consolidate and develop the local security forces

 ", specifies the colonel. Rwivanga.

The spokesman speaks only of a few wounded on the Rwandan side and a hundred deaths among the insurgents, according to a still very rough estimate.

He also ensures that the Rwandan Defense Forces (RDF) and their Mozambican partners have seized a lot of equipment and ammunition.

Newsletter

Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• Mozambique

• Rwanda