Presidents Filipe Nyusi and John Magufuli of Mozambique and Tanzania respectively held bilateral talks that are aimed at fostering collaboration in the quashing of Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) headquartered in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province. The summit was geared to strengthen the efforts by both nations to fight the cross-border terrorism that has plagued the two nations especially in 2020 where the group conducted attacks on both sides of the Rovuma river.
The timing of the meeting was especially necessary seeing as it was held in anticipation of the now postponed Southern African Development Community meeting whose top agenda was to seek to draft a regional response to the insurgency in Mozambique. While the relations between the two countries have been strained, they have been seeking a resolution that is aimed at quashing ISCAP which has a substantial Tanzanian population in its ranks.
Total SE this month said it started evacuating workers from its $20 billion liquefied natural gas export project, Africa’s biggest private investment yet, as the violence reached its concession area. That’s heightened questions around the government’s response, and what the insecurity means for the project’s future.
Mozambique has been seeking assistance from its allies and a meeting with the United States under-secretary of defense for policy, Anthony Tata where the possibility of the US offering military training as part of the efforts and support to fight the growing insurgency. A holistic approach to fight the insurgency is long overdue as the militancy has been amercing territory with intelligence indicating that the lack of swift response could result in the spill-over to other provinces in Mozambique as well as across southern Tanzania.
