Recently, It has come to light that Rwanda is deploying an extra 2,500 soldiers to help Mozambique oppose resurgent incursions by Islamic State insurgents in the oil-rich Cabo Delgado province. Attacks have been on the rise in the region as a force known as SAMIM, sent by the Southern African Development Community, organises to withdraw. President Filipe Nyusi was mentioned by state-run radio as conveying that the troops are being deployed not because Mozambique cannot ensure its security, but because the country cannot fight terrorism alone.
Nyusi stated it is clear that Rwanda is cooperating with Mozambique, adding that his most splendid pride would be to leave matters well done to ensure continuity. He stated more contingents are disembarking, not to trade, but to add flow. This is mostly because of the departure of SAMIM, and when it definitively departs the hotspot area we will occupy it.
In 2017, Cabo Delgado was hit by an armed insurgency, which disrupted some multi-billion dollar oil and gas projects. Three years ago, Rwanda deployed 1,000 soldiers to combat alongside Mozambique’s armed defence and was joined by SAMIM. The regional intervention force will completely retreat in July, forcing the Mozambican Armed Defense Forces (FADM) to fill the security vacuum.
TotalEnergies is building a plant near Palma for the development and export of natural gas, at the cost of $20 billion, but the scheme has been suspended since 2021. Rwanda’s additional military backing to Mozambique was welcomed by TotalEnergies chief Pouyanné, who stated the natural gas project district will soon resume. He stated, that they have advanced very positively with contractors, and from this point of view, we are ready to resume. He stated we are also operating with all the credit agencies to resume the financing of the project and it’s progressing very well.
ExxonMobil, with partner Eni, is also producing a liquified natural gas scheme in northern Mozambique and stated last week it was “optimistic and looking forward” for the security situation to enhance. SAMIM’s departure from Mozambique, the result of financial difficulties, comes at a time when terrorist attacks have grown in Cabo Delgado. A week ago, Islamic State-backed insurgents raided the major town of Macomia in Cabo Delgado region following a dawn raid in which over 20 soldiers may have been extinguished, according to local media reports.
A senior scheme leader for the South Africa-based Institute of Justice and Reconciliation, Webster Zambara, expressed SADC should review its withdrawal. “It’s the first time in Southern Africa where we would have an army from East Africa stationed in one country to fight a war that is impacting not only one country Mozambique, but others like Tanzania, also Malawi and likely whole region, and the bigger picture is that terrorism problems tend to be very long if we are to glance at al-Shabab in East Africa and also Boko Haram in West Africa, so we may require to see SADC revisiting its position on this,” stated Zambara.
