The Rwandan troops deployed in Mozambique less than a month ago to help fight the jihadists said on Thursday (August 5) that they had succeeded in driving out militants raging in the country’s natural gas-rich north.
Last week, these forces helped the Mozambican army regain control of Awase, a small but strategic settlement near Mocimboa da Praia, an important town occupied by militants last August.
Mozambique@American Voice News According to reports, Rwandan and government forces cleared the rebels from five villages. One of them most likely refers to the conflict that occurred in Mumu (MdP) on August 3.
Map credit: share on social media pic.twitter.com/Ne6u5D0avW— Jasmine Opperman (@Jasminechic00) August 5, 2021
“We are progressing smoothly in Cape De Galdo Province,” Ronald Rubiwan, spokesman for the Rwandan Defence Forces, told AFP by text message from the school.
“We have succeeded in two areas and are closing Mocimboa da Praia,” he added, referring to the port towns occupied by militants since August 12, 2020.
The town launched its first Islamic attack in October 2017 and has become the de facto headquarters of extremists associated with the Islamic State since last year.
The Mozambican army has been trying to regain control of the province, which is one of the largest LNG projects in Africa.
Rwanda stated that the insurgents had fled Awase and went to other small towns near Mocimboa da Praia, “but we are approaching” them.
After the Mozambican leader Filipe Nyusi visited Kigali in April, Rwandan troops of 1,000 were deployed on July 9.
#Rwanda The National Defense Forces (RDF) sent an additional infantry battalion of 750 military personnel to the Central African Republic/Central African Republic/MINUSCA on August 3, 2021. This is after the bilateral deployment to Mozambique, many troubled northern towns have stabilized again. pic.twitter.com/JxuVYUa21R
-Mandela Musinga Sam (@SamMandela) August 4, 2021
A few weeks after Rwanda intervened, neighboring countries began to send troops with the support of the 16-member regional group Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Botswana became the first SADC country to dispatch boots on July 26, with 296 soldiers deployed. President Mokvezi Masisi, who is the chairman of the SADC defense and security department, bluntly expressed the urgent need for regional stability.
As a regional power and neighbor, South Africa announced on July 28 that it would deploy 1,495 soldiers.
A day later, Zimbabwe announced a plan to send 304 non-combatants to train the Mozambican infantry battalion.
From August 6, Angola will deploy 20 professional military airmen, while Namibia will contribute 5.8 million Singapore dollars (approximately US$400,000) to the counter-insurgency offensive.
The European Union officially established a military mission for Mozambique on July 12 to help train its armed forces to fight jihadists.
Former colonial ruler Portugal is already providing training for the Mozambican army, and military instructors in Lisbon are expected to account for half of the EU’s new missions.
