South African troops land in Mozambique

MAPUTO - A c o n t i n g e n t o f t h e South African National Defence Force ( SANDF) arrived in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province. An i mage circulating showed an SANDF plane offloading soldiers, military vehicles and equipment. The troops are believed to be special forces who will form part of the Southern African Development Community’s ( SADC) Standby Force.

The soldiers, according to sources in Mozambique, are believed to have arrived on Monday in the coastal city of Pemba. ‘‘ The Standby Force was meant to deploy on July 15. Just two days before the D- Day, Mozambique had not yet signed the status of forces agreement that would authorise regional boots on the ground,’’ said Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa- Nqakula.

Mozambique’s defence minister Jaime Neto told agencies Mozambique had signed the document last week, and dispatched what serves as a formal request to SADC headquarters in Gaborone on Wednesday.

Over the weekend, SADC released an image of Executive Secretary Stergomena Lawrence Tax formally handing over the instruments of authority to a South African general, identified only as the force commander.

“The presentation of instruments of authority, follows the approval by the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government to deploy a SADC Standby Force to the Republic of Mozambique in support of Mozambique to combat terrorism and acts of violent extremism in Cabo Delgado,” SADC said.