Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said today that restoring peace and rebuilding public buildings in areas affected by rebel incursions in Cabo Delgado are priorities, despite there still being “isolated pockets” of attacks.
“Although there are still isolated pockets of terrorist attacks, there is a great effort to re-establish security in the affected places,” the Mozambican head of state said.
The President was speaking during the central ceremonies of the commemorations of the Day of National Heroes, which is marked today.
According to Filipe Nyusi, in addition to efforts to stabilise the points affected by the insurgency, the Mozambican authorities are unfolding to meet the timetables for the reconstruction of public buildings devastated by the rebels.
“We have been gradually rebuilding service buildings and other socio-economic infrastructures, such as those for energy, water, health, communications and access roads,” the Mozambican head of state said.
Although he classified the operational results of the government forces on the ground as positive, Filipe Nyusi reiterated that the terrorist threat cannot be considered to have been extinguished.
“We are not saying that terrorism is over,” the Mozambican President stressed, highlighting the efforts of government forces fighting the rebels on the ground.
Cabo Delgado province has faced an armed insurgency for five 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 left a million people displaced, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and around 4,000 dead, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.
The Mozambican state consecrated February 3 as Heroes’ Day in honour of the founder of the ruling party Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (Frelimo), Eduardo Mondlane, who was assassinated on this date in 1969, in an attack attributed to the former International Police and Defense of the State (PIDE), an entity of the Portuguese colonial regime.
Lusa
