President Paul Kagame has said that Rwandan troops were not deployed in Mozambique by accident but rather honored the request of Mozambique to support efforts to quell terrorist groups.

The President made the revelation on Saturday 25th September 2021 speaking to members of the press alongside his counterpart of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi on the second day of his visit to the country.

He said that Rwanda intervened to restore peace in Mozambique as an African country committed to promote solidarity in finding solutions for difficult problems.

“Africans are capable, and by working well together, we can find solutions to even our most difficult problems. Nothing should stop us from ensuring the stability, progress and well-being of the people of Africa,” he said.

“This is why Rwanda did not hesitate, when we were asked to join our armed forces together with Mozambican forces, to bring security back to this region. Together, our joint forces have succeeded in pushing back the insurgents,” added Kagame.

The president emphasized that the presence of Rwandan troops in Mozambique is not by accident that they were invited to join Mozambicans to solve a problem.

He expressed optimism that the situation will get back to normal for good through ongoing joint efforts.

President Nyusi also commended Rwandan troops for their contribution to restore peace in Cabo Delgado noting that efforts to return displaced citizens are underway.

Rwanda started the deployment of 1000 troops of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and the Rwanda National Police (RNP) to Mozambique on 9th July 2021, to fight rebel groups linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The group sometimes calls themselves al-Shabaab, although they do not have known links with the Somali al-Shabaab.

The situation started worsening in October 2017 when armed extremists linked ISIL launched an insurgency in the Cabo Delgado region of Mozambique.

Since then, Mozambique Defence Armed Forces have been battling the extremists while many civilians were displaced by the fighting.

The joint operations between Rwandan and Mozambican troops have started yielding where different regions including Palma, Awasse, Mocímboa Da Praia, Quionga, Tete, , Maputo, Nhica Do Rovuma, Quelimane, Chinda and Mumu have been seized from rebels.

As at 5th September 2021, Rwandan and Mozambican troops who were joined by the military mission of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had captured almost all areas of Cabo Delgado Province.

The remaining work is predominantly about launching offensives to quell enemy pockets from their hideouts and resettling displaced citizens.

Before concluding his working visit, Kagame and Nyusi have also attended the Armed Forces Day ceremony at Pemba Municipal Stadium.
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