Rwandan troops in Cabo Delgado contribute positively to fighting so far – consultants

MAPUTO, Mozambique

Consultancy NKC African Economics has deemed that the presence of Rwandan troops in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province “appears to have contributed positively to the fighting so far”.

“Reaching out to Rwanda for assistance before its regional partners was a curious move, but the presence of the Rwandan Army in the province appears to have contributed positively to the fighting so far,” the analysts wrote in a note consulted by Lusa.

The consultancy, the African branch of Oxford Economics, said that Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, “was under renewed pressure to control the insurgency” after the March attacks, which led French energy giant Total to suspend its liquefied natural gas project.

According to the authorities, Rwanda’s contingent of 1,000 soldiers and police have shot 14 insurgents.

“After many delays, the SADC [Southern African Development Community] is finally deploying troops in Cabo Delgado”.

Botswana and South Africa will send troops. In the case of the latter, NKC African Economics said its size “exceeds that of all other foreign armies in Cabo Delgado,” which “demonstrates the country’s intention to dominate force operations.

The consultancy hopes that “competition between forces” will not hinder the achievement of peace, as “the expansion of the insurgency beyond Mozambique’s borders is a possibility”.

Similarly, the analysts consider that stability in Cabo delgado cannot be achieved with “a mission based solely on military control”.

“It is one of the poorest regions in one of the poorest countries and, as we have said before, the deployment must be complemented by socio-economic support. We do not believe that a sustainable level of stability can be achieved until the poverty patterns of the residents are addressed,” they concluded.

Armed groups have terrorized Cabo Delgado province since 2017, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.

There are more than 3,100 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project, and more than 817,000 displaced people, according to Mozambican authorities.