By Derick Tsimba
Zimbabwe will today be hosting a one-day Extraordinary Organ SADC Troika Summit of Heads of State and Government including the Republic of Mozambique in Harare, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has said.
The purpose of the Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit is to consider the urgent security situation in Mozambique following its formal request to the regional body, the Harare Post can report.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Lt. Gen (Rtd) Dr. S. B. Moyo, in a press statement yesterday said, “President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation will today, the 19th of May 2020, host a one day Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit of Heads of State and Government plus the Republic of Mozambique.”
He also said, “The Summit will be attended by H.E. President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, out-going Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, H.E. President Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana In-coming Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation and H.E. President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique.”
The Harare Post has learnt the insurgency in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province is still ongoing, as Islamist militants continue to intensify their attempt to establish an Islamic state in the region, fighting the Mozambican security forces. Civilians are the main targets of attacks by Islamist militants.
Ansar al-Sunna is the leading insurgent faction in Mozambique. In 2018, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) became active in northern Mozambique and claimed its first attack against Mozambican security forces in June 2019. As a result of this insurgency bandits are also exploiting the rebellion to carry out raids. The situation in Mozambique, if left unchecked, could cause problems for the SADC region.
