Kagame troops destroy Mozambique Jihadists
Rwanda Defense Forces spokesman colonel Ronald Rwivanga said, "We are going nicely in Cabo Degaldo province."
Rwandan soldiers in Mozambique, who arrived a month ago to assist in the fight against jihadists, have claimed victory in driving out the terrorists wreaking havoc in the country’s gas-rich north.
Last week, the troops assisted the Mozambique army in regaining control of Awasse, a small but strategically important village near the important town of Mocimboa da Praia that had been taken by militants in August of last year.
Rwanda Defense Forces spokesman colonel Ronald Rwivanga said, “We are going nicely in Cabo Degaldo province.”
“We’ve had progress on two fronts and are closing in on Mocimboa da Praia,” he said, referring to the harbor town that has been under militant control since August 12, 2020.
The town, which was the site of the first Islamist assaults in October 2017, has been the de-facto headquarters of IS-linked militants since last year.
Military forces in Mozambique have been battling to reclaim control of the province, which is home to Africa’s largest liquefied natural gas plant.
The militants had left Awasse to other tiny villages around Mocimboa da Praia, according to Rwanda, but “we are closing up on” them.
Following a visit to Kigali by Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi in April, Rwanda’s 1,000-strong army deployed on July 9.
Within weeks after Rwanda’s arrival, neighboring nations began sending soldiers under the auspices of the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC).
On July 26, Botswana became the first SADC country to send in troops, with 296 troops. President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who leads SADC’s military and security committee, has been vocal about the need for regional stability.
South Africa, a regional giant and immediate neighbor, declared on July 28 that it would deploy 1,495 troops.
The next day, Zimbabwe announced intentions to send 304 non-combatant soldiers to Mozambique to train infantry units.
Angola will send 20 specialist military air force personnel to Namibia on August 6, and Namibia will pay N$5.8 million (about $400,000) to the anti-insurgency effort.
On July 12, the European Union formally launched a military mission in Mozambique to assist in the training of the country’s armed forces in the fight against terrorists.
Portugal, the former colonial ruler, is already training Mozambican forces, with military instructors from Lisbon slated to make up half of the new EU mission.
