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Mozambican army soldiers patrol the streets on March 7, 2018 in Mocimboa da Praia, Mozambique, after increased security in the area following a two-day attack by suspected Islamists.
PHOTO: Adrien Barbier / AFP
- SADC will convene an extraordinary summit in January so that heads of state can discuss the violence in northern Mozambique.
- There is growing concern about interference from outside the continent, but South Africa says it is ready to help if asked.
- South Africa will also host a special summit to discuss a strategy to acquire and distribute Covid-19 vaccines at SADC.
Southern African heads of state have resolved to discuss the security situation in Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado at a special summit early in the new year amid growing concern in the region over intervention from outside the continent.
This was decided at a meeting Monday of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Defense and Security Troika, which included President Cyril Ramaphosa, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi, and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Tanzania’s Vice President Samia Suluhu was also present as some of the attacks have spread to neighboring Mozambique.
Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi called the high-level meeting in Maputo after missing the last Troika meeting on the issue late last month.
According to a brief statement, in Portuguese, that followed the summit, the extraordinary January summit is called to “… address the security situation in Mozambique.”
READ | SADC pledges to support Mozambique terror threat, nothing is known about violence in Zimbabwe
The meeting praised Nyusi for his “… initiative to convene this event and expressed his solidarity and support for Mozambique in meeting these challenges,” according to the statement.
Intervention
The Mozambican government has been slow to recognize the increase in violence in the north of the country as a crisis that needs the intervention of its neighbors, and according to sources the situation in Cabo Delgado was not discussed in depth at this meeting.
However, Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor told reporters at a briefing on Monday that South Africa was ready to help. “We could provide support to a sovereign state as they request because we cannot impose ourselves,” he said.
He also said, “… our own security forces stand ready to defend our country should the need arise.”
The violence, which often resembles jihadist attacks, is believed to be linked to the discovery of natural gas there.
Portugal and the European Union have recently offered to help Mozambique train its forces against the militants.
Monday’s meeting also resolved to have an extraordinary summit, hosted by South Africa, on a regional strategy for the procurement and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.
