Mozambican Defence Minister Cristovao Chume believes that there are hidden ambitions behind the terrorism that has been plaguing the northern province of Cabo Delgado, with the risk of spilling over into the rest of the southern African region.
Speaking on Thursday, in Maputo, at the closing meeting of the Standing Joint Defence and Security Commission between Mozambique and Zambia, Chume said “Mozambique does not intend to allow this to happen, as we did in the past with colonialism, which wanted to establish itself and flourish. It will be with the same vigour and impetus that we will fight terrorism inch by inch on our home soil.”
Chume made a strong appeal to those who are financing terrorists to stop doing so, as well as urging those who have been recruited into terrorist groups to come back and hand themselves over to the Defence and Security Forces, regardless of whether they are Mozambicans or foreigners.
In order to guarantee success, Chume called for united counter-terrorism mechanisms to rid the region of this phenomenon.
According to the minister, military forces must be attentive to such terrorism and must be able to observe, analyze and draw conclusions about it, in order to anticipate and prevent such evils from affecting the region and the two countries in particular.
“Furthermore, we must intensify our bilateral cooperation in the field of defence and security through the continuous exchange of information. We must also be attentive to illegal acts that jeopardize the sovereignty and security of our nations, such as terrorism, illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking, and maritime piracy, among others, to which we must redouble our efforts in order to respond appropriately”, he said.
For his part, the Zambian Defence Minister, Ambrose Lwiji Lufuma, reiterated that the support of the defence and security sector is fundamental to maintaining or carrying out certain joint ventures.
“These include the recent modernization and expansion of the port of Nacala and the signing of agreements to develop the Nacala corridor”, Lufuma said.
According to Lufuma, this kind of initiative may strengthen high-level co-operation between Zambia and Mozambique, as well as Malawi, to further increase regional connectivity, while offering new opportunities for growth and development, including improving local economies and creating jobs for citizens.
“Notwithstanding these prospects, transnational organized crime, including smuggling, illegal migration, illegal logging, poaching, as well as the threat of terrorism, remain a major concern for the peace and security of Zambia and Mozambique and the region at large”, he said.
“In this regard, the Commission provides us with an opportunity to share experiences and expertise, as well as to devise innovative and effective ways of addressing these vices”, he added.
AIM
