MAPUTO, July 4 (Xinhua) -- The Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) on Thursday announced its decision to withdraw forces from the northern province of Cabo Delgado, marking the end of its peacekeeping mission in the region.
The closing ceremony was led by Defense Minister Cristovao Chume and SAMIM Head of Mission Mpho Molomo in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado province.
In his speech, the minister praised the deployment of SAMIM troops in the fight against terrorism in the country.
"The operationalization of the SAMIM force has proved to be an enormous complement to the no-holds-barred actions carried out by the Mozambican Defense and Security Forces, offering greater robustness to the mission of pursuing and eliminating terrorists on the battlefield," Chume said.
The minister said that the terrorist bases have been destroyed, and there has also been a resumption of economic activity, the free movement of people and the gradual return of the population to their areas of origin, and an improvement in the security situation in the province.
"Progress in the fight against terrorism is a victory for all SADC countries. The SAMIM mission has played a major role in addressing the threat posed by terrorism in the region," said Chume, describing the mission as an example of regional solidarity for the African continent, and a strategy for solving African problems.
The minister warned that despite the advances and withdrawal of SAMIM forces, there are still terrorist movements in some regions of Cabo Delgado province, creating instability among the population.
Defense forces from Mozambique and troops from Rwanda are currently patrolling the region.
During the ceremony, the minister paid tribute to the families of the soldiers who lost their loved ones during the operations in Cabo Delgado. Weapons seized from the terrorists since 2021 were also displayed.
The SADC Mission in Mozambique was deployed in July 2021 following approval by the Extraordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government as a regional response to support the Mozambique to combat terrorism. ■