SADC to extend military mission in Cabo Delgado
What you need to know:
- The decision was one of the resolutions reached during the 43rd Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the block that was held on August 17, 2023, in Luanda, Angola.
Dar es Salaam. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has endorsed an extension of its military operation in the Cabo Delgado Province in northern Mozambique (SAMIM) by a further twelve-month period.
The decision was one of the resolutions reached during the 43rd Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the block that was held on August 17, 2023, in Luanda, Angola.
On June 23, 2021, after months of deliberations, community approved the establishment of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) in response to escalating violent extremism and insurgency by an Islamist armed group, Al-Shabaab or Al-Sunnah wa Jama’ah (ASWJ), in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province.
SAMIM was deployed under scenario 6 of the African Standby Force (ASF) with a mandate focused on supporting the Mozambican government to combat terrorism and violent extremism in Cabo Delgado.
Its mandate centred on strengthening and maintaining peace and security; restoring law and order; and assisting the government and humanitarian agencies to provide humanitarian relief to the affected population.
In their communique, the summit commended member States, SAMIM Mission Leadership and Personnel for their dedication and contribution in supporting the Mission, saying the additional months would serve as the commencement of a phased drawdown of SAMIM.
