Remarkable progress has been made in containing terrorist activities in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, enabling the opening of humanitarian corridors for the safe return of internally displaced persons to their places of origin.

Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Executive Secretary Elias Magosi said this in his welcoming remarks at the Extra-ordinary Meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ Troika Plus SAMIM Personal Contributing Countries and the Republic of Mozambique, held in Windhoek on Wednesday.

‘I am pleased to report that through the relentless efforts of the joint operation between the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) and the Mozambique Defence Forces, remarkable progress has been made in containing terrorist activities there,’ Magosi said.

Conflict erupted in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province after some of Africa’s biggest gas reserves were discovered in the Rovuma Basin off the coast.

Over 4 000 people have been killed and 800 000 displaced due to the insurgency that broke out at the end of 2017.

Magosi said while SADC recognises this achievement, the region must remain vigilant as the terrorists change their mode of operation and seek to expand their influence beyond Cabo Delgado to unleash acts of terrorism against innocent civilians.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency