WATCH | MOZAMBIQUE FAILS TO CONTAIN EXTREMISTS

Wed 10 July 2024:

Speaking in an interview on Salaamedia, Nuvunga, director at the Centre for Democracy and Development, said extremists were gaining momentum. He also said they were making headway in previously stabilised areas.

“It is creating havoc not only in that region, but also throughout the country … We have seen extremists gaining momentum. They have been expanding towards the south of the province, which is the area that since two years has been stabilised by SAMIM,” he said.

Since 2017, the Mozambican government and, later, its partners in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), have been fending off extremists in the oil-rich province.

“They have regained capacity and have been abducting humanitarian workers and it appears that they are demanding up to $1 million ransom to release some of these people.”

The situation, he suggested, paints a dismal picture of efforts rendered so far.

“Unfortunately, despite all the efforts and the support that it has been having, either from the European Union and other bilateral partners, it has not been improving its security sector governance on time to contain the situation using its internal capacity.”