The BDF is part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) forces, which began withdrawing from the insurgency-hit Cabo Delgado province in April this year. With the eight countries not extending their three-year mandate, the AFRICOM, whose mandate is to promote regional stability and security, has revealed that at the moment, the insurgents are waiting for SAMIM forces to leave. In an interview with Mmegi this week, BDF's Director of Protocol and Public Affairs, Colonel Magosi Moshagane, said despite the fact that responsibility for the mission evaluation and assessment to determine operational successes and or shortcomings lies with SADC, it is important to reemphasise that since the deployment of SAMIM Forces to Mozambique, the terrorist activities in the Province have been significantly neutralised. Moshagane further maintained that terrorist activities’ combat potential has been seriously degraded allowing ordinary citizens to resettle back into their villages and towns as the human life in those areas gradually returned to normality.
Mmegi had asked the BDF to respond to AFRICOM’s assessment that the threat has not been neutralised. AFRICOM is still worried about the Cabo Delgado threat despite Rwanda’s last month deployment of an additional 2, 500 soldiers to help Mozambique fight resurgent attacks by the Islamic State insurgents in the oil-rich Cabo Delgado province. Attacks have been on the rise in the area as SAMIM continues to withdraw. In an interview with Mmegi ahead of this week’s African Chiefs of Defence Conference, the AFRICOM Director of Intelligence, Brigadier General Rose Keravuori pointed out that they have been looking and monitoring to see if the insurgents have gone away or gone into hiding. “They are an adaptive and a smart group. They have adapted to the changes in tactics by either SAMIM or Rwandan forces. They also know when there is a timeline for an exit by the SADC forces so they also know when to wait,” she said. Keravuori indicated that ISIS between countries share lessons learned, and are working with each other to see how they can kidnap for ransom, earn more money to finance their operations. She said they have observed that ISIS Mozambique has made a comeback after some of the SAMIM forces left since April. Keravuori added the insurgents have been adapting to their tactics and procedures to see what works. “Typically, in the military what we like to have is some type of military victory that forces the fighting and insurgents to the negotiating table. Once you are able to negotiate, that military victory allows you time to start negotiating and allow people not to be radicalised and be brought back to society,” she emphasised. Keravuori said because most of that has not been done, it is difficult to say that ISIS has given up. She said as a military member looking at the situation, she would want to see everything that has not been done completed before the forces depart. AFRICOM counters transnational threats and malign actors, strengthens security forces and responds to crises in order to advance US national interests and promote regional security, stability and prosperity.
The BDF was, however, hamstrung to comment further on the success of the operation, which began three years ago. “The BDF reserves the right to comment on mission success and challenges until after the deployment of the BDF troops to SAMIM operations is concluded, and a deliberate and thorough evaluation of the mission is undertaken to inform our objective position,” Moshagane noted. On April 5, SADC revealed in a statement that the withdrawal of the SAMIM Force had begun with the Botswana contingent. SADC indicated that SAMIM had mounted a well-attended farewell parade for the contingent, which arrived in the mission area in October 2023. SADC also disclosed that the Botswana contingent participated in offensive operation to neutralise the terrorists and delivered quick impact projects. It maintained that these activities saw a significant number of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) returning to their normal lives. Last month, the BBC reported that Botswana and Lesotho have already pulled their soldiers out, while Angola and Namibia were in the process of leaving. The SAMIM forces made up of about 2, 000 soldiers from eight countries will be out of Mozambique by July 15. Asked if Botswana had long began withdrawing troops from Cabo Delgado in Mozambique, Moshagane said due to concerns on operational security and issues surrounding force protection in the ongoing operations in Mozambique under the SAMIM, the BDF is unable to discuss the current state of the BDF retrograde operations with the media. “However, the BDF is fully alive to the timeline for SAMIM operations as outlined by the 43rd Ordinary Summit of SADC, held on August 17, 2023 in Luanda, the Republic of Angola,” he pointed out.
Speaking this week at the African Chiefs of Defence conference, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, hailed the mission saying the terrorist activities in Mozambique have been significantly reduced to a level of normalcy. “In 2021, Botswana and other SADC countries joined hands to participate in a SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), where we managed to create a safe and secure environment in Cabo Delgado Province. Conversely, the terrorist activities in Mozambique have been significantly reduced to a level of normalcy, which has allowed the return of the locals to their areas of origin and resumption of economic activities in the province. As we acknowledge the positive impact of these operations, I am filled with great pleasure to be here amongst African Defence Chiefs and their partners, as this is a testament to our commitment to ensure a safe and secure African Continent,” he said. Masisi added that operations like SAMIM are indeed a true reflection of the spirit of expanding cooperation and sharing values. Cabo Delgado has been facing an armed insurgency since 2017 that has disrupted several multi-billion oil and natural gas projects. Three years ago, Rwanda deployed 1, 000 soldiers to fight alongside Mozambique’s armed defence and was joined by the SAMIM. The regional intervention force will completely withdraw in July, forcing the Mozambican Armed Defense Forces (FADM) to fill the security vacuum.
According to media reports in the area, SAMIM’s withdrawal from Mozambique, the result of financial difficulties, comes at a time when terrorist attacks have increased in Cabo Delgado. A week ago, the Islamic State-backed insurgents ransacked the major town of Macomia in the Cabo Delgado province following a dawn assault in which over 20 soldiers may have been killed, according to local media reports. Since 2017, insurgents have killed hundreds of people, displaced communities and burnt towns and villages. They have been fighting for control of the region that is rich in natural gas and minerals such as hydrocarbons, graphite and rubies. In July 2021, the French energy giant, Total Energies, was forced to suspend its $20bn (£16bn) liquified natural gas project following a shocking attack on the town of Palma. After the deployment of SADC and Rwandan troops the same year, aid agencies and the government reported that security had improved in some areas and normal life was gradually returning.
