Tanzania will continue to support Mozambique in the fight against the insurgency in Cabo Delgado post the departure of SAMIM forces. Tanzania wants to “kill the snake in the neighbour’s yard” before “the snake enters its own yard”, says analyst.
The President of the Republic of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, has announced that Tanzania will continue to support Mozambique “bilaterally” in the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado after the departure of the South African Development Community Military Mission (SAMIM).
President Nyusi, who is in Tanzania on a state visit, reiterated that SAMIM forces would formally end their operations in Cabo Delgado next week.
READ: Mozambique: Tanzanian troops will remain in Cabo Delgado
Mozambique: President highlights the importance of Tanzania in combating insurgency – Watch
Borges Nhamirre, a security researcher at the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), highlights the “important work” that SAMIM forces have done in Cabo Delgado.
Nhamirre is not surprised to hear of Tanzania’s continuing involvement, since the main goal of its force in Cabo Delgado “is not necessarily to combat terrorism, but to ensure that terrorists do not plan, on the Mozambican side, and carry out actions that could affect the security of Tanzania itself,” he explains.
DW Africa: SAMIM forces end their operations in Cabo Delgado next week. How do you assess the work of these troops?
Borges Nhamirre (BN): It was important work that the SAMIM forces did in Cabo Delgado. Just look at what the province was like in July, 2021, when the troops were deployed, and how it is now. Looking specifically at the districts where SAMIM troops were deployed, namely Nangade, Macomia, where there were troops from South Africa, Mueda and the upper area of Muidumbe. So the work was positive. We must understand that this was a special forces mission and the objective was not to fight, but to help the Mozambican state combat terrorism. They did their job by dislodging insurgent groups from their main bases, but they were also important in increasing intelligence on the part of the state of Mozambique, in addition to allowing government forces to operate.
DW Africa: President Filipe Nyusi said that Tanzania would continue to support Mozambique in the fight against terrorism. Does this mean that Mozambique will invest more in bilateral support in the future, as is the case with Rwanda, to the detriment of multilateral support?
BN: In fact, Tanzania already had a bilateral mission in Cabo Delgado, in Nangade district, many months ago. And with the departure of SAMIM, Tanzania’s bilateral mission will continue. It must be understood by looking at the interests that Tanzania has in Cabo Delgado and in view of the district where its troops are deployed. They are in Nangade district, on the south bank of the Rovuma River. The main interest of the Tanzanian force in Cabo Delgado is not necessarily to combat terrorism, but to prevent terrorists from planning actions on the Mozambican side and carrying out actions that could affect the security of Tanzania itself. In other words, what Tanzania is doing is “killing the snake in your neighbour’s yard” before “the snake enters your own yard”.
DW Africa: Filipe Nyusi said that the supporters and financiers of terrorism in Cabo Delgado are also in Mozambique, namely in the cities, including Maputo. How do you interpret this statement?
BN: Of course they are. Not only the financiers, but possible “sleeper cells” of the terrorist groups that are attacking in Cabo Delgado and that we must believe are also in other cities including Maputo, which is the capital. Maputo is the capital city of everything, including organised crime, including terrorists. So, this is obvious. What is expected of the state is not to make this type of statement, but rather to neutralise these financiers, bring them to justice and convict them, in order to discourage terrorist groups. I think that President Filipe Nyusi just made a political statement which has no meaning. In practical terms, what is expected of the state is to be the guarantor of security.
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