'Mozambique paid nothing for Rwandan troops' operation in Cabo Delgado' - President Nyusi

MAPUTO, Mozambique

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Thursday declared that Rwanda had neither asked for nor received anything in return for sending a contingent of troops to help the Mozambican defence and security forces fight against islamist terrorists in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Nyusi (above) was giving his annual State of the Nation Address to the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, and strongly defended the presence of foreign troops in the fight against terrorism. He stressed that there is a bilateral defence agreement between Mozambique and Rwanda, and that troops from several member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had entered Mozambique under SADC protocols that Mozambique has ratified.

Nyusi added that Mozambique remains in overall control of the anti-terrorist operations, with Mozambican officers providing “strategic guidance” for all the forces involved.

“Terrorism is like a virus”, he said, “you can’t fight against it within national borders. We are fighting for a southern Africa free of terrorism”,

In this fight, he declared, “nobody has called for compensation from Mozambique”.

In the recent offensive by the Mozambican forces and their allies, said Nyusi, most of the terrorist bases in Cabo Delgado “have been dismantled”. In this offensive, about 200 terrorists have been killed, including several of their leaders and ideologues, whom the president named. Among them was a certain Rajid Faquir, who had been the number three in the terrorist command structure.

The Mozambican authorities, Nyusi continued, were now strengthening their hold over areas once occupied by the jihadists in the Cabo Delgado districts of Mocimboa da Praia, Palma, Muidumbe and Macomia.

Nyusi believed that the Cabo Delgado insurgency was “pure banditry” and that recruits to the terrorist cause were driven by nothing more complicated than greed. He urged them to rethink, and return to their families. “It’s never too late”, he said.

Some of the terrorists had fled from Cabo Delgado into the neighbouring province of Niassa, and some had even crossed the border into Tanzania, the President added.

Nyusi urged the population of Niassa to remain calm because “the defence and security forces are doing everything to contain the insurgency”,

Nyusi said the terrorist raids have claimed about 2,000 lives, and have displaced more than 800,000 people from their homes. But when those in the central provinces of Manica and Sofala who fled from attacks by the self-styled Renamo Military Junta are included, the total number displaced rises to 948,000.

But the Military Junta insurgency appears to be at an end following the death of its leader, Mariano Nhongo in October. Supporters of the Junta have given up their fight, and have been applying for the demobilization offered by the government to all former members of the Renamo militia, under what is known as DDR – demobilization, disarmament and reintegration.

Nyusi said that, under the DDR, to date 16 Renamo bases have been dismantled and 11 of these have been entirely closed. 3,277 former Renamo guerrillas have been demobilised and reintegrated into society, including 90 former members of the Military Junta.

“Peace is the responsibility of all of us”, he declared. “It is not just the absence of war, but a way of life”. People should not be afraid of “a diversity of opinions”, he added, calling on all Mozambicans “to cultivate a spirit of tolerance and reconciliation”.