Tanzania to cooperate in the fight against terrorism in Mozambique

MAPUTO, Mozambique

Returning from a state visit to the neighbouring country, the Mozambican president reports that Tanzania is ready to cooperate in fighting the insurgency in Cabo Delgado, saying: “Tanzania is saying that it prefers to die with us.”

The Government of Tanzania, a country bordering the Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado to the north, said this Monday (11.01) that it was available to cooperate with Mozambique in the fight against rebel groups in the region, Mozambican head of state Filipe Nyusi has reported.

“Tanzania is saying that it prefers to die with us, there is no other alternative. That is what we heard [during the visit] and that encourages us,” Filipe Nyusi told the media in Cabo Delgado on his return from a working visit to the country.

Cabo Delgado, one of the two Mozambican provinces bordering Tanzania, has since October 2017 been under attack by insurgents classified since the beginning of the year by Mozambican and international authorities as a terrorist threat.

During his visit, Filipe Nyusi held a meeting with his Tanzanian counterpart, John Magufuli, where the “main theme of work was combining efforts to effectively tackle the phenomenon of terrorism”, as well as discussing friendly relations between the two countries.

Classifying the visit as positive, the Mozambican head of state added: “We conveyed our information on security in the northern and central operational theatres. We affirm that we will resume the meetings of the joint commissions between Mozambique and Tanzania, including in the area of defence and security.”

In November, Mozambique and Tanzania signed an agreement to exchange information on incursions by armed groups.

“The agreement provides that we work together to control the Rovuma border, working with residents to discover the possible movement of terrorists,” Commander-General of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique Bernardino Rafael said after signing the document in Tanzania.

Filipe Nyusi again asked for vigilance among the youth of the affected regions, adding that many young people who agreed to join the rebel groups were now contrite.

“They were made promises, and have not seen the results. They are being led by people who they do not know, nor do they even know the language they speak. You are not killers by nature,” Filipe Nyusi said, asking Mozambicans who have joined the armed groups to surrender to the authorities.