The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) heads of States, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, resolved at an extraordinary troika summit in Gaborone on Friday to intervene in Mozambican conflict through the Force Intervention Brigade, but Zimbabwe is yet to contribute troops.
The Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit noted with concern, the acts of terrorism in the region, particularly in Cabo Delgado province of the Republic of Mozambique, and expressed continued SADC solidarity with Mozambique.
This also came after Mnangagwa had expressed concern and willingness to help the neighboring country.
“I am deeply shocked by recent reports of terrorist activity in Mozambique.
“These acts of barbarity must be stamped out wherever they are found,” he said.
He added that the country was ready to assist.
“Zimbabwe is ready to assist in any way we can.
“The security of our region is paramount in the protection of our people,” he added.
As for now only Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa have contributed troops.
The armed militant group, is believed to be affiliated to the Daesh/ISIS terrorist organization, and has caused havoc in northern Mozambique since late 2017, killing hundreds, displacing communities, and capturing towns.
The group is locally known as al-Shabaab, but with no known links to the armed militant group in Somalia, it seeks to form an Islamic caliphate in northern Mozambique where it has exploited people’s desperation of poverty and unemployment to recruit in large numbers.
Mozambique has been seeking international assistance to crash the militant threat, which has the potential of distabilising the whole region.
During the mid 80s, Mozambique was in a similar situation, with the MNR bandits wrecking havoc and also spilled into Zimbabwe.
Some Zimbabweans especially in the border areas near Mozambique were killed. The country sent troops who helped to finally defeat the bandits.
-Zwnews
