Peace, for Mozambique citizens has turned to be a luxury now due to terrorist attacks that have been a cause for concern for some years now.
Speaking on the occasion of the extraordinary organ troika ministerial meeting yesterday at Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique, the Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation-Dr Lemogang Kwape stated that it is imperative for member states to come together to combat terrorism.
“As we are all aware, thwarting terrorist attacks is a complex and challenging task for the international community, and even more so, for one country on its own. This is so because terrorists operate with no regard for any rules, let alone consideration for international borders and national sovereignty. In this regard, no Member State can or should face this threat on its own. We therefore need to stand firm and united, as the SADC region, in a show of solidarity to our sister country, Mozambique. We will all agree that the security situation in Mozambique cannot be allowed to deteriorate any further. We need to act and act decisively, in a comprehensive manner.” Kwape declared.
It is reported that the situation at Cabo Delgado, specifically at the town of Palma has become a major concern as the security of the area is compromised. This is attributable to abuse and attacks on the innocent population.
Kwape further urged Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states to come in unison and help their sister state, Mozambique against these terrorists. Kwape says these terrorists have been polluting peace since 2017, and are now posing threat to SADC as a whole as they have now grown to be more organized and use powerful weapons.
“It is quite clear that the situation has morphed into a much bigger security threat and a serious humanitarian catastrophe than initially anticipated. It is also clear that the terrorists are becoming more sophisticated as the attacks seemed well-coordinated in different parts of the town, with the use of modern weaponry, such as automatic machine guns, compared to machetes when they started the attacks in October 2017. This definitely means that we are now dealing with a much bigger creature, with strong funding and supply base, including well-established logistical support.” he reiterated.
The SADC Organ on Politics Defence and Security is managed on a Troika basis and is responsible for promoting peace and security in the SADC region. It is mandated to steer and provide Member states with direction regarding matters that threaten peace, security and stability in the region. Botswana is currently the chair for the organ.
