Mozambique’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Verónica Macamo, today called on the international community to maintain humanitarian assistance to victims of “terrorism”, despite “progress” in the fight against armed groups.
Macamo was speaking at a meeting with a delegation from the UK Parliament’s International Relations Committee, which is visiting the African country.
Speaking at the end of the meeting, the UK High Commissioner in Mozambique, Helen Lewis, said that the Mozambican authorities reported progress in the fight against armed groups in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, but noted that humanitarian aid must continue.
It is “also very important to create jobs for young people” so that they are not vulnerable to recruitment by armed groups, Mr Lewis added.
Unemployment and lack of opportunities – notably in emerging gas investments – have been cited by several observers as some of the causes of recruitment.
In recent times, several entities have announced projects aimed at creating opportunities for the region’s youth, including the government, which created the Northern Development Agency (Adin) to operationalise social development projects, but the problem persists.
The International Relations Committee of the United Kingdom Parliament has been in Mozambique since Tuesday for a three-day visit, as part of work on combating terrorism in the world.
Cabo Delgado province has faced an armed insurgency for almost six years with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.
The insurgency has led to a military response since July 2021, with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), liberating districts near gas projects, but new waves of attacks have emerged south of the region and in neighbouring Nampula province.
The conflict has already displaced one million people, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and claimed some 4,000 lives, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.
