Southern African troops make gains against insurgents in Mozambique

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - The Southern African troops deployed to northern Mozambique to battle terrorists have made gains against insurgents destabilizing the region, said the African Union's Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Wednesday.

SADC, a regional block of 16 countries in July mobilized and deployed a Mission to Mozambique (SAMIM) consisting of troops and personnel to contain the terrorists after an armed militant group believed to be affiliated with the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group attacked the coastal town of Palma in Cabo Delgado province in late March, killing dozens and injuring scores of others. Thousands of people were displaced as a result of the attack.

"SAMIM has registered a number of milestones, including recapturing villages, dislodging terrorists from their bases, and seizing weapons and warfare material," the SADC said in a statement.

It said its efforts have contributed to creating a relatively secure environment for safer passage of humanitarian assistance to areas that the terrorists had made inaccessible.

"Additionally, members of the community have developed confidence in SAMIM forces, feeling more secure and allowing internally displaced persons to return to their normal lives," the mission said.

Eight countries out of the 16 regional members of SADC -- Angola, Botswana, Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia -- have deployed troops to northern Mozambique, a southern African nation.

The terror group, locally known as al-Shabaab but with no known connection to the Somali insurgent group, has wreaked havoc in northern Mozambique since late 2017, killing hundreds of people, displacing communities, and capturing towns.

The northern province of Mozambique is rich in natural gas, and companies such as France's Total SE were set to extract liquefied natural gas from offshore sites in the Indian Ocean, but have since halted operations.