By Guy Martine, MASERU
Lesotho
Lesotho has become the latest nation to contribute troops to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission in Mozambique, which was formally launched on Monday as Rwandan and Mozambican forces retook strategic towns from Islamist insurgents.
On Sunday 8
August, a Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) Contingent Advanced Team to Mozambique
left for Mozambique’s insurgency-hit Cabo Delgado province. It comprises 12
soldiers, according to LDF Public Affairs Officer Captain Sakeng Lekola, and
will be followed by another 113 LDF members, who will be transported by an
Angolan aircraft.
Angola
announced last month it was deploying 20 officers and a transport aircraft to
Cabo Delgado as part of the SADC mission. It appears Angola is assisting with
airlift duties – an Angolan Ilyushin Il-76 transport was seen in Botswana to
airlift military cargo meant for the Botswana Defence Force. An Angolan Il-76
was also spotted at Air Force Base Waterkloof outside Pretoria over the
weekend, indicating Angola could also be assisting the South African contingent
with logistics.
LDF
Commander Lieutenant General Letsoela earlier said that the LDF Advanced Party
will focus on peace enforcement in Mozambique.
Speaking
during the inspection of the contingent team on Friday, Lesotho’s Prime
Minister Moeketsi Majoro said as an SADC member, Lesotho will join other SADC
states in Mozambique to assist in combating terrorism and acts of violent
extremism in Cabo Delgado.
The
contingent advanced party is expected to stay in Mozambique for a period of
three months, news agency LENA reports.
On Monday 9
August, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and Botswanan President Mokgweetsi
Masisi launched the Southern African Development Community Mission in
Mozambique (SAMIM) at an event in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado province.
“We reaffirm
our joint commitment to fight against violent extremism together with the
Rwandan forces,” said Nyusi, alluding to Rwandan forces recapturing Awasse and
Mocimboa da Praia towns from the insurgents, just weeks after 1 000 Rwandan
troops arrived in Mozambique under a bilateral agreement (Rwanda is not an SADC
member).
“The control
of Mocimboa da Praia town and the gradual return of movement between Palma and
Mocimboa da Praia is the product of the bravery and concerted effort of the
forces with the aim of quickly returning stability to the region,” said Nyusi.
The SADC’s
Standby Force in Mozambique includes troops from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho,
South Africa and Tanzania. Botswana in July said it was sending nearly 300
troops to Mozambique while South Africa would send up to 1 495. Zimbabwe will
send trainers from its military. It is not clear what Tanzania’s contribution
will be – so far only a Tanzanian transport aircraft has been spotted in
Mozambique.
During the
SAMIM launch on Monday, force commander Major General Xolani Mankayi, of the
South African National Defence Force, said the mission would do everything
possible to restore peace in the area.
“The SADC
region state as described above is (to) facilitate the creation of a secure
environment, to ensure that the state authority is in full control of the Cabo
Delgado affected areas, and normal lives can resume,” Mankayi said.
The Rwanda
Defence Force on Sunday announced that the port city Mocimboa da Praia, a major
stronghold of the insurgency for more than two years, had been captured by
Rwandan and Mozambican security forces. The city also holds the district
headquarters and airport.
Reports in
South Africa have it the assault on Mocímboa da Praia started on Friday with
advances on two landward fronts. The recapture adds to a growing list of
retaken towns and villages.
Mozambique’s
northern-most province of Cabo Delgado, which has gas developments worth some
$60 billion, has since 2017 harboured an Islamist insurgency.
Since last
year, the unrest has escalated as insurgents, linked to Islamic State, seized
entire towns, including the strategically important Mocimboa da Praia.
Rwandan
defence forces spokesman Ronald Rwivanga told Reuters the insurgents, who have
fled to nearby forests, were greatly weakened by losing Mocimboa da Praia. They
have held it for nearly a year, and it was a stronghold for their supplies.
“It was a
critical port for their survival. Losing it is going to be a significant blow
to their ability to maintain the insurgency,” Rwivanga said, adding the army
would remain in the recaptured areas until stability returns.
He said
there had been heavy fighting. “We are just waiting for the final count but
generally speaking the enemy had many casualties,” he said.
Colonel Omar
Saranga, Mozambican Ministry of Defence spokesman, told a news conference the
forces took control of public and private infrastructure, including government
buildings, the port, airport, hospital, markets and catering establishments.
He said
operations continued to consolidate control over critical areas, including an
area where a water treatment facility is situated.
The army has
also regained control of Awasse – a small but also strategic settlement near
Mocimboa da Praia.
Almost 800
000 people have been displaced in Cabo Delgado and the fighting has brought a
$20 billion natural gas project led by oil giant Total to a halt.
Jasmine
Opperman, Analyst at Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED),
believes that insurgents will refrain from direct combat in large numbers as
SADC forces deploy. “Only when foreign forces start gaining similar successes
in ‘off the radar’ areas, we can start celebrating an insurgency losing
momentum. Let us not forget the broader complexities, i.e. humanitarian crisis,
and a ‘forgotten Cabo Delgado’ legacy that are of equal importance. Neglect these
and the insurgency will be awaiting an opportune time to resurface.”
She noted
that a final victory goes beyond the obvious targets of access roads,
demolished towns, and soldiers roaming freely. “Insurgents have fallen back,
split into smaller groups, and seemingly avoiding clashes. Are we about to
enter a new phase in the nature and presence of the insurgency?”
Experts have
cautioned that reclaiming strongholds like Mocimboa de Praia was the easier
aspect of the war as Al Sunnah militants are unlikely to try and match
state-aligned forces in conventional warfare.
Darren
Olivier, defence expert and Director at African Defence Review, said the
Rwandan/Mozambican military focus has been on short-term wins to re-open
crucial towns and routes.
“Clearing
insurgents out from Mocimboa de Praia, Palma, key infrastructure spots, and
various strongholds is a good first start, and will help with morale. But it’s
not victory, not against an insurgency that’s accustomed to falling back and
preserving strength any time it’s challenged.
“Time will
tell whether the Mozambican authorities understand this, and provide the
resources and socioeconomic reforms for a long-term dissolution of the
insurgency, or whether they prematurely declare victory once the main oil and
gas areas seem secure, letting ASWJ regroup.”
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