SADC meet in Maputo to decide way forward in Mozambique

While the Mozambican army can continue with its efforts on the land side, the fastest and most logical intervention now is for the South African navy to restart its maritime patrols along the Mozambican coast, according to Tim Walker, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies.

These patrols, codenamed “Operation Copper”, have stopped due to constraints in the defence budget. Operation Copper started some 10 years ago as part of agreements signed by South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania to fight piracy along the east coast.

Last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa extended the operation for another year at a cost of R145million without a single patrol taking place, Walker said. In March this year, Ramaphosa extended the operation again at a cost of R38-million.

“The strategic environment has since changed significantly, and maritime security should become its aim especially with the militants’ renewed successes. These patrols should have started already.”

An urgent extraordinary double troika summit was called for Wednesday and Thursday, 7 and 8 April, in the Mozambican capital of Maputo by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation.

The summit was called by Botswana’s president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, who chairs the organ. Ramaphosa was set to attend the meeting with Zimbabwe, Malawi and Tanzania also represented.

“The SADC will have to take some firm decisions and cannot be seen as dependent only on private military companies to provide security in a situation which affects stability in the whole region,” Walker said.

“While [Mozambican President Filipe] Nyusi has not wanted to allow an intervention by either the African Union or SADC, the latter — with all its promises in the past of mobilising a standby or rapid deployment force in security situations like in Mozambique – faces an existential crisis if it cannot intervene now.

“The humanitarian tragedy and security catastrophe which is playing out in Cabo Delgado can reverberate for years as an indication of all of the countries in southern Africa’s inability to secure the region against extremist insurgencies.”

Informed sources have said that it is too late now to worry about political sensitivities.

Portugal has indicated its willingness to deploy forces to the country.

“Nyusi should accept the offer and ask for the maximum number of troops to deploy to Pemba as soon as possible. France, with its defence capability stationed in Mayotte, could assist with maritime patrols,” said Walker.

“The United States already has special forces training the Mozambican soldiers in Maputo. They should train these forces to operate in small teams. Mozambique should pay its armed forces better and regularly to ensure that they don’t change sides to the better-paying insurgents.

“South Africa and the rest of SADC can assist with the rapid training of further Mozambican units while the private military companies already contracted, can use the trained teams in Cabo Delgado. There is no time to waste anymore unless SADC wants to witness the total collapse of security in Mozambique.”