The Mozambican government has acquired two aircraft to strengthen operations in the fight against terrorism in the north of the country, according to the announcement made by the commander of the Mozambican Air Force, Cândido Tirano, quoted by daily newspaper Notícias.
According to the source, the aircraft “LET L-410 and CASACN295” have capacity for 17 and 30 people, respectively, and were acquired as part of a partnership between the Mozambican authorities and the South African company “Paramount Group”, which operates in the defense sector.
The planes are destined to transport passengers and cargo, and are “equipped to allow a greater capacity for deployment of special forces”, including paratroopers.
According to Cândido Tirano, among the advantages of these new aircrafts for the government forces, is the ability to land on “non-conventional runways and unprepared land”.
The province of Cabo Delgado has been facing an armed insurgency promoted by rebels for five years, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.
The insurgency led to a military response a year ago with support from Rwanda and SADC, liberating districts near gas projects, but new waves of attacks have emerged in the south of the region and in neighboring Nampula province.
In five years, the conflict has made one million displaced people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and about 4,000 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.
