1. SADC Forces Update
Wednesday, September th29, 2021 I Year 03, Number 207 Iof. Adriano Nuvunga I www.cddmoz.org
On 25 September, while President Filipe Nyusi was with his counterpart Paul Kagame and the Rwandan troops in the City of Pemba, the SADC Force was fighting violent extremists in the Chitima area of Nangade District, which borders Tanzania. Apart from the destruction of a base that was commanded by Sheikh Njile North, SADC troops reported that at least 17 insurgents were killed during the operation. On casualties, the released statement on 26 September indicates that one soldier was killed and three (3) were injured but were already recovering. This statement notes that on Sunday (26 September), the SADC Force clashed with a group south of the Messalo River, a forest-covered area where it is believed there may be more enemy bases. During this operation, the regional troops killed one insurgent, seized three weapons and captured a teacher suspected of being a member of the extremist groups.
In mid-September, specifically on the 14th, SAMIM launched a military operation that culminated with the capture of a fortified base of the insurgents located south of the Messalo River. Named Sheik Ibrahim, the dismantled base had been used as a training camp and soft and heavy weapons were seized. In a statement issued on 18 September, the SADC Force said that a significant number of military training books as well as videos and other communication devices were found at Sheik Ibrahim base. Unlike the Rwandan troops who have not yet set dates for their withdrawal from Cabo Delgado, the SADC Standby Force Mission (SAMIM) ends on 15 October, within two weeks. The initial deadline was three (3) months, from 15 July. However, the SADC troops only began landing in Mozambique after 15 July, the official launch of the mission took place on 9 August in Pemba City, and operations on the ground started at the end of August. Given these delays and the fact that the security situation in Cabo Delgado is not yet consolidated, it is very likely that SADC will extend its mission of the Standby Force.
2. Life Returns To Mocimboa da Praia
Nearly two months after the town was liberated from the insurgents in early August 2020, Mocimboa da Praia is a semblance of its old self. A town that was a thriving hub of economic activity is left almost completely desolated and destroyed, with a large number of its inhabitants being forced to turn into Internally Displaced People over the course of the last 18 months. Some ran away to neighbouring towns, some into the forests on the edge of town. Suleimane Salimo is one of these forest dwellers. He sat down with a journalist from Carta Mozambique to detail the last year of his life. “We left here in August 2020 and went to take refuge in the forest, where we lived badly. We were 29. We had no food, nowhere to sleep and no soap. I wasn’t kidnapped, I just ran away because they needed me, they wanted to kill me because I was a militia here in the village”. Now, however, due to the stability brought by the Rwandan/FDM troop actions, some people are trickling back into their home town, with the approximately 73 who were dwelling in the forests being the first to repatriate. Colonel Arone Nema, commander of the Land forces has stressed that the situation is inferred control but they are still wary of re-inhabitants and are doing a controlled movement of people claiming to be from Mocimboa in order to try and ascertain the veracity of all who claim to be inhabitants, and in this way, thwart any possible reentry of insurgents.
3. Mining In Niassa Province
Graphite, a carbon mineral used widely, in pencils and lubricants, and also used in the conduction of electricity, will begin to be mined next year in Nipepe, in Niassa province. DH Mining is the concession holder for this exploration, with an investment of $30 million to make the project viable. The company has already began with installation of infrastructure- so far there has been installation of a storage space for the extracted graphite as well as a processing plant for the mineral. There will also eventually be a bridge constructed to connect the district of Nipepe to its neighbor, Nampula, for transport to ports and export.
4. TOTAL To Return?
Total, which shuttered its operations in Afungi after the insurgent attacks in Palma in March this year, and cited force majeure, are looking to rerun and reopen the LNG plant that it had abandoned. At a press conference held last week, president Nyusi all but confirmed the return, hinting that there was only official documentation missing to complete the deal. “Everything indicates that in the onshore part the work developed will be visible, because the companies when they left, it was not because they wanted to leave. They left because they were in war zones and until this situation is clarified, we believe no one would like to miss the opportunity to explore what that area has.
Recent Comments