Mozambique: Defence, security meeting in Maputo with Tanzania kicks off

2:31 CAT | 27 Sep 2022

The defence ministers of Mozambique and Tanzania, as well as experts from the two countries, are meeting from today until Friday in Maputo, at a time when the two countries are facing a common terrorist threat in Cabo Delgado.

The topic will be on the agenda of this fourth session of the Permanent Joint Commission on Defence and Security, a body that regularly brings the two countries together.

The session will be co-chaired by Ministers Cristóvão Artur Chume, on the Mozambican side, and Stergomena Tax, representing Tanzania.

In addition to evaluating accomplishments to date, the meeting will serve to “design actions to be developed in the fields of Defence, Public Security and State Security, as well as improve cooperation mechanisms”, a statement about the event reads.

The ministerial meeting is preceded, today, by a meeting of defence and security experts from the two countries.

Mozambique and Tanzania signed two memoranda of understanding on Wednesday, one in the area of defence and the other on rescue and salvage operations, during a meeting between Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi and the Tanzanian head of state, Samia Suluhu.

The MoUs are related to the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado, a region in northern Mozambique rich in natural gas.

“We are aware that Mozambique and Tanzania share an extensive border about 800 kilometres long, the longest in the region. Therefore, we are aware that we have to strengthen our cooperation mechanisms,” Samia Suhulu said during her visit to Maputo.

Tanzania is a member of SAMIM, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) military mission supporting Mozambican troops in the fight against the armed insurgency.

Cabo Delgado province has been terrorized since 2017 by armed rebels, with some attacks claimed by the Islamic State extremist group.

The conflict has internally displaced about 800,000 people, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and killed about 4,000 individuals (ACLED conflict registry figure).

Source: Lusa