Chronicle Editor
Mozambique police announced on Monday that Islamic terrorists operating in northern Cabo Delgado Province had raided a village, force-marched people to a football pitch and decapitated 50 of them.
Thereafter they kidnapped some women and children.
This is probably the second mass murder of innocent civilians by the terrorists since they launched their insurgency in October 2017 after they, in April, shot dead and beheaded more than 50 youths when they allegedly refused to join them.
The rebellion appears to be intensifying in recent months. The militants are getting more brazen and mounting more frequent attacks. They have killed more than 1 100 people, most of them civilians since 2017 while 100 000 have been displaced.
In the initial stages of the insurgency, the Mozambique government thought they could contain it alone but as it grew, President Filipe Nyusi in May formally asked for assistance from Sadc. The Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, then chaired by President Mnangagwa met President Nyusi in Harare and expressed solidarity with the people of Mozambique and their government. The troika further urged Sadc member states to assist Mozambique to fight the insurgents.
We aren’t sure if any Sadc country has responded positively to the appeal by President Nyusi and the troika’s call for them to assist but the insurgency is persisting, with the latest and most gruesome rebel attack being the one announced by Mozambican police on Monday.
That barbaric assault must have moved President Mnangagwa to express his government’s readiness to intervene in the Mozambican situation.
Writing on his Twitter handle on Tuesday, President Mnangagwa said regional security was important for the protection of people.
“I am deeply shocked by reports of terrorist activity in Mozambique,” he wrote. “These acts of barbarity must be stamped out wherever they are found. Zimbabwe is ready to assist in any way we can. The security of our region is paramount in the protection of our people.”
The attacks are indeed shocking, barbaric, clearly intensifying thus must be brought to an end. Given the long period the terrorism has been running, we can conclude that President Nyusi’s government is finding it hard to contain it.
Therefore, Sadc members have an obligation to assist in terms of the Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategy which enjoins the bloc to collectively take measures to weed out terrorism – recognising violent extremism in one country as a major threat to regional stability and development.
We would have wanted a collective push, Sadc members contributing troops to chase after the Islamists. But if that fails to materialise, individual countries such as Zimbabwe must get boots on the ground in the interests of peace, security and development.
Zimbabwe and Mozambique are one socially and economically.
Mozambique provides Zimbabwe its nearest routes to the sea at Beira and Maputo. It is through the Beira Corridor that most goods – among them petroleum products – are moved into Zimbabwe while most bulk exports are transported through Beira and Maputo by rail or road.
Also a significant number of people living along the countries’ common border have blood ties.
In addition, the countries have similar revolutionary histories. They militarily fought against European colonialism and defeated it. Zimbabwe defeated Britain while Mozambique defeated Portugal.
However, as soon as Mozambique gained independence in 1975, a rebellion by Renamo broke out. At that time Mozambique was effectively fighting on two fronts – against Renamo locally and assisting the Zimbabwe Africa National Liberation Army against Rhodesian settlers. It therefore struggled to repel the rebels.
However, as soon as Zimbabwe attained Independence in 1980, it sent its army in support of the Mozambican government against Renamo. In 1992, Renamo was overrun and had to sign a peace agreement.
Therefore, if, as President Mnangagwa said on Tuesday, Zimbabwe assists in a manner it will decide so as to curb the Islamists, it will not be the first time it has provided support to Mozambique against a military threat.
If we fail to assist Mozambique, the brigands in the north would think all Sadc governments are cowards and get emboldened by that inaction to cause more damage. Sadc people, including our brothers and sisters in Mozambique deserve peace and security and the socio-economic development they occasion and sustain.
Online Reporter