Maputo — Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Thursday urged the defence and security forces to remain firm and resolute in the fight against terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
He was speaking to high ranking military and police officers, who had come to greet him on the eve of Armed Forces Day, 25 September, the 56th anniversary of the start of the liberation war against Portuguese colonial rule.
“We are sure that with your tireless commitment and sacrifice we shall return peace to millions of Mozambicans”, said Nyusi.
Even faced with adversities, the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM), are continuing to honour the blood and sacrifice of the national heroes who gave their lives for the country’s independence, he added.
The current context, Nyusi said, demands from the FADM a redoubling of efforts in the training and education of its members. He recommended that the military education programmes should instill greater organizational dynamism, flexibility and a capacity to anticipate the challenges imposed by the domestic, regional and international conjuncture.
Key to improving the FADM’s capacity was “continuing to cultivate its tradition of strict military discipline, and scrupulous compliance with the constitution, with other national defence legislation and with the relevant conventions the country has signed”, the President declared.
For his part, the Chief of the General Staff of the FADM, Lazaro Menete, said that the armed violence of the terrorists in Cabo Delgado and of the self-styled “Renamo Military Junta” in the central provinces of Manica and Sofala will not divert the attention of the armed forces away from the intransigent defence of the country. He stressed the renewal of the FADM’s commitment to its permanent mission of defending the country’s independence and sovereignty, including guaranteeing the normal functioning of Mozambican institutions.
He praised Nyusi for finding space “on your busy agenda to visit military units, particularly in the operational theatres, in order to live up close the reality of the armed forces and to interact directly with the soldiers in the field of military operations”.
Source: Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique