Forces of the South African Development Community (SADC) Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), which alongside the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) supports Mozambique’s war against an Islamist insurgency in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, will leave the country due to financial difficulties, according to Foreign and Cooperation Minister Verónica Macamo.
President Filipe Nyusi said that he expected more regional cooperation even after SAMIM forces leave Mozambique in July, adding that he hoped that such cooperation be of bi- and multilateral nature.
The Troika of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, meeting at an extraordinary summit in the Zambian capital of Lusaka, over the weekend, confirmed SAMIM’s July exit from Mozambique.
SAMIM’s exist comes at a time when the insurgents’ operational capability seems to have been boosted, following attacks to Mozambique Defence and Security Forces (FDS) positions and towns, as well as destroying public and private property.
Comment
Although Maputo claims that SAMIM’s exit from Mozambique has to do with financial constraints, regional affairs observers told Mozambique Insights that the truth is likely to lie somewhere: that SAMIM is leaving because Maputo asked it to do so.
Furthermore, the observers question why is it that the regional body is actually beefing up the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC), with Angolan Foreign Affairs Minister, Téte António, saying that the Troika had decided on mobilising resources for the upkeep of troops and military operations in the DRC.
The regional security experts are unanimous in saying it was Mozambique’s call for SAMIM to leave, but still looking for a plausible reason. However, one admitted that SAMIM might have fallen victim to Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s public opposition to SAMIDRC – early in March, Rwanda asked the African Union not to support SADC troops deployed to fight armed groups in eastern DRC, claiming their presence would exacerbate the conflict in that region.
Consequently, SAMIM’s exit from Mozambique might have been because Kagame came collecting one of the many debts Nyusi owes him because of the presence of Rwandan forces in Mozambique.
Meanwhile, SAMIM’s exit ask more questions than currently are answers. For example, how will government react to the operational hole SAMIM is likely to leave behind? Nyusi speaks of bi- or multilateral military cooperation, but which SADC country will come to Mozambique’s aid? Perhaps Zimbabwe? Will SAMIM’s catchment operational area be given to the RDF, meaning that Rwanda will increase its combat radius in Cano Delgado? Or will Mozambique resort to mercenaries like Russia’s Wagner Group, rebranded as Afrika Corps?
Regardless, there were operational difficulties between SAMIM and the RDF, with little or no coordination between the two. Also, SAMIM were accused of not chasing after the insurgents. Furthermore, there is also the issue of human rights violations by SAMIM troops which has yet to be clarified – in January 2023, a video on social media showed some South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members allegedly burning corpses said to be of insurgents.
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