Our Magazine
Brussels Morning Online Newspaper
Sunday, April 11, 2021
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • About Us
  • EU institutions
    • Commission
    • Parliament
    • Council
  • Europe
  • World
  • Economy
  • Culture and Society
  • In Depth
    • Ambassador’s Corner
    • The American Angle
    • Europe With Transparency
    • Sustainable Perspective
    • Place de la Bourse
    • The Macro-Economist
    • Southeast Europe
Brussels Morning Online Newspaper
  • Home
    • About Us
  • EU institutions
    • Commission
    • Parliament
    • Council
  • Europe
  • World
  • Economy
  • Culture and Society
  • In Depth
    • Ambassador’s Corner
    • The American Angle
    • Europe With Transparency
    • Sustainable Perspective
    • Place de la Bourse
    • The Macro-Economist
    • Southeast Europe
Brussels Morning Online Newspaper
No Result
View All Result
Home Europe

Mozambique security an issue as armed conflict escalates

Marta Pacheco by Marta Pacheco
2 April 2021
in Europe
Mozambique security an issue as armed conflict escalates

Montepuez, Mozambique-2016-12-05: African guard standing to secure in front of the store at Montepuez, Mozambique

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Brussels (Brussels Morning) More than a 1,000 survivors of a deadly attack on Palma, in northern Mozambique, eventually managed to flee by ferryboat and reach safety in the port of Pemba on 31 March. Escaping the 24 March Daesh attack on the strategically-located town, the men, women and children fled to the bush where they hid for days before embarking on the ferry and a 430 km voyage to sanctuary further south. 

Conflict has been escalating in the Palma area, where Mozambique’s billion-dollar gas infrastructure is located. Thousands have been forced to flee, while the government has confirmed dozens of deaths, according to Reuters. However, the exact toll in the remote northern town remains as yet unknown.

Most means of communication were severed after the attack that was launched a week ago. Calls to government and security officials in the area went unanswered on 1 April. 

During the assault, some 200 people took refuge in the Amarula hotel, many of them workers of various nationalities linked to companies working on the natural gas project led by the French oil company Total.

Portugal, current holders of the Presidency of the Council, has announced it will send soldiers to the region to help train security forces, the aim being to get military on the ground and fully operational this month.

Who controls Palma?

Currently, there are conflicting reports circulating as to who exactly is in control in Palma. 

The Daesh proclaimed that they are in control of the region through the jihadist movement’s official news source, Amaq. However, RTP, the Portuguese broadcaster, which has been following military operations on the ground in Palma, reports differently.

According to RTP reporting, the Mozambican military has ensured that Palma “is not in the hands of the jihadists” and that control is being restored in the area despite “pockets of resistance”. On 30 March, an RTP broadcast assured that “the population will soon be able to return”. 

France’s role

Asked to comment on the ongoing situation, French analyst and historian Michel Cahen blamed France and urged caution regarding foreign military intervention. He compared the situation with that in Mali, warning that “it would not be good to produce a second Mali in Mozambique”.

The director emeritus of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, putting it bluntly said “France’s interest is Total”. The French have geopolitical interests in the area and are concerned with maritime security, he added. In his view, as reported by the Club of Mozambique, “foreign military intervention in the area will not solve the problem” .

International efforts

On 30 March, the Presidents of Zimbabwe and Botswana met in Harare reflecting efforts by Southern African states to craft a response to the deteriorating security situation in Mozambique.

The regional bloc is said to be preparing a military intervention in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado region, where militant violence has been raging since 2017, according to reporting in the Zimbabwe Mail.

Further assistance from the EU was announced by the Portugal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, who on 30 March gave assurances that the EU is now preparing an aid mission to support Mozambique in the fight against terrorism.

According to the Portuguese newspaper Público , Santos Silva outlined the mission’s essential goals as including “strategic clarity”, “intra-European cooperation” involving the EU and NATO along with other important partners such as the UK and “partners from other continents”. Special attention would be paid to coordination and the interoperability of forces and resources, to ensure greater efficiency in the management of resources and use of taxpayer money, he declared.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Tags: Biweekly MartaBrussels LatestMain-Slider
Marta Pacheco

Marta Pacheco

Marta Pacheco is the Brussels Morning European Commission Editor. She studied Political Science and Media & Journalism at the Catholic University of Portugal (UCP). A former Blue Book trainee of the European Commission, Marta has a keen interest in global affairs and experience in EU and diplomatic affairs reporting.

Latest post

Macron to close and replace elite ENA school with more diverse institution

Macron to close and replace elite ENA school with more diverse institution

2 days ago
Merkel to wrest pandemic restrictions control from federal states

Merkel to wrest pandemic restrictions control from federal states

2 days ago

Most Read

  • A very Georgian provokatsiya

    A very Georgian provokatsiya

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The EU’s newest member state Croatia can teach the bloc much about building strategic autonomy

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • EC to investigate €1bn worth of missing lumber in Croatian forests

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Salmond’s strategic masterstroke

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Vaccine export bans won’t help the fight against Covid-19, says Pfizer

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Subscribe
Facebook Twitter Youtube LinkedIn

About Us

Brussels Morning is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, BM covers policies and politics of the EU, significant Member State developments, and looks at the international agenda with a European perspective.

Category

  • Ambassador’s Corner
  • Commission
  • Council
  • Culture and Society
  • Diplomacy
  • Economy
  • EU Institutions
  • Europe
  • Europe With Transparency
  • Features
  • In Depth
  • Member States
  • Middle East Eye
  • Opinion
  • Our pick
  • Parliament
  • Place de la Bourse
  • Southeast Europe
  • Sustainable Perspective
  • The American Angle
  • The Macro-Economist
  • Uncategorised
  • US Elections
  • World

More info

  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Cookies Policy
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ
  • Jobs

Brussels Morning Newspaper - All Rights Reserved © 2020

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
  • EU Institutions
    • Parliament
    • Commission
    • Council
  • Europe
  • World
  • Member States
  • Economy
  • Culture and Society
  • In Depth
    • Ambassador’s Corner
    • Europe With Transparency
    • Place de la Bourse
    • The Macro-Economist
    • Sustainable Perspective
    • The American Angle
    • Southeast Europe
  • Magazine

Brussels Morning Newspaper - All Rights Reserved © 2020

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT