Daniel Itai – The Zimbabwe Daily
Cabo Delgado, Mozambique – There are now continued fears that Islamist insurgency in Mozambique could spread to neighbouring Southern African Development Community (SADC) states.
Attacks by Ansar al-Sunna, now identified as part of Islamic State, have claimed over a thousand lives in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique’s northernmost province.
“There is an increase of Islamic insurgency activities currently in the province of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, and these have the potential to spread to other provinces and neighbouring Southern African Development Community states, there are challenges with Mozambique,” said South Africa’s Minister of Defence, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
In May, SADC urged its members to support Mozambique in efforts to overcome terrorists and armed groups in Cabo Delgado.
SADC’s head of politics, defence and security co-operation, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has called on the bloc to support Mozambique in its fight against terrorists and armed groups and also condemned terrorist and other armed attacks as per the SADC declaration on terrorism and the African Union (AU) Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism.
