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JOHANNESBURG – South Africa stands ready to help insurgency-hit Mozambique with the support of its intelligence or military services, but its neighbor would need to request that help first, South Africa’s foreign minister said Wednesday.
Insurgents with ties to the Islamic State have stepped up attacks in Mozambique this year, alarming big energy companies that are developing huge deposits of natural gas there and governments in other parts of southern Africa.
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International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor told a parliamentary committee that Southern Africa regional body SADC had asked Mozambique to provide a roadmap on the assistance it might need, which would then be deliberated before choosing a course of action. .
“If it’s more intelligence support, if it’s the South African navy patrolling the coast, if it’s help from our defense force, we as South Africa are ready, but we must have that indication from the Mozambican government,” Pandor said. .
“Mozambique is a sovereign country, if it needs help from any of us, I would ask for it … But should South Africa jump into Mozambique without any request from the country, without any indication of where it needs help? I’m not sure we can do that.” added.
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The attacks began in the Cabo Delgado province of northern Mozambique in 2017, but have accelerated this year, with insurgents seizing key cities for short periods and increasingly attacking military or strategic targets.
“The emergence of conflict in Mozambique is a disturbing change in the peace that has characterized SADC for many years,” Pandor said.
“Mozambique has been collaborating with our various countries and we are all looking at how we could help them.”
