Defense Minister Cristovão Chume has assured that the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado, in northern Mozambique, is progressing toward a stable security situation, emphasizing the need to “change the instability narrative to avoid driving investors away.”
“The security situation is stable, and Cabo Delgado is viable. We must continue to spread a positive narrative that makes people see Mozambique as a place where investment is still possible,” said the minister after leaving Parliament, following the opening of the second ordinary session of the Assembly of the Republic under the tenth legislature.
Chume added that almost all African nations face challenges related to terrorism and drug trafficking. “We are pushing investors beyond our borders and instilling fear among the population. Investments, tourism, agriculture, and education are ongoing in that province; the development of districts is evident.”
“Mozambique is viable, and every country has problems. Nigeria faces terrorism, but people still go there. Brazil has high crime rates, yet continues to attract tourists, and we all want to spend holidays in such places,” explained the minister, as quoted by Lusa.
Recently, the government and the Italian oil company Eni formalized the final investment decision for the Coral Norte project, located in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin. Valued at 7.2 billion dollars (456 billion meticais), the venture is expected to generate more than 23 billion dollars (1.4 trillion meticais) in taxes and contributions over its 30-year lifespan.
In its latest report, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated that more than 57,000 people have been displaced since July 20, following an escalation of extremist attacks in several districts.
According to the agency, these figures include 490 pregnant women, 1,077 elderly people, 191 individuals with mobility challenges, and 126 children, noting that some people “walk more than 50 kilometers through the bush, day and night, mostly heading toward the district capital of Chiúre, in southern Cabo Delgado.”
Since October 2017, Cabo Delgado – a province rich in natural resources, particularly gas – has been the scene of an armed insurgency that has caused thousands of deaths and triggered a humanitarian crisis displacing more than one million people internally.
In April, the attacks also spread to the neighboring province of Niassa. One of the most serious incidents occurred in the Niassa Reserve and the Mariri Environmental Center, in the Mecula district, where non-state armed groups attacked facilities, stole goods, and destroyed camps and an aircraft belonging to the park. These attacks resulted in at least two deaths and the displacement of over two thousand people, 55% of whom were children.
Source: Diário Económico
