Sadc must urgently intervene in Cabo Delgado conflict

ON May 27, 2021, an Extraordinary Double Troika Summit was held in Maputo to discuss the continued conflict in the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique.

A report from a technical assessment team deployed in Mozambique following recommendations from the Sadc Extraordinary Double Troika Summit held on April 8, 2021 was presented at the Extraordinary Double Troika Summit.

As the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, an umbrella body of civic society organisations operating in Zimbabwe and chair of the Human Rights and Governance cluster of the Southern Africa People’s Solidarity Network, we appreciate the regional response to the Mozambican conflict which has claimed more than 3 000 lives and left around 700 000 people displaced while a further 1,3 million civilians have been left in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

Since November 2020, we have made passionate calls for Sadc to intervene in resolving the Mozambican conflict and in March 2021, a delegation of Crisis Coalition members met with Frelimo, civic society and church groups in Mozambique to discuss the Cabo Delgado conflict.

There was consensus during the meetings that there was an urgent need for Sadc to intervene in the Cabo Delgado conflict.

Inasmuch as we appreciate military intervention in assisting the Mozambican government to deal with the insurgents, we hereby make a call on Sadc to prioritise humanitarian intervention, restoration of livelihoods as well as reintegration of societies affectZIMBABWE ed by the insurgency in the Cabo Delgado province.

In the same vein, we urge Sadc to consider setting up a co-ordinated humanitarian fund to assist Mozambicans in need of humanitarian assistance.

Sadc intervention in Mozambique should be anchored on ensuring restoration of human rights and protection of civilians.

Security forces should be trained to protect civilians under threat from the insurgents in Mozambique and this should be in accordance with internationally accepted human rights standards.

Social and economic justice (equitable distribution of natural resources) should also form part of the Sadc discussions on Mozambique.

Taking from the Extraordinary Sadc People’s Summit hosted by Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition and the Southern Africa People’s Solidarity Network on April 8, 2020, we reiterate that the armed conflict in Mozambique has its roots in unfair distribution of natural resources.

It is our expectation that Sadc, as part of its crisis response plan, takes into consideration the above submissions as part of efforts to bring lasting peace to Mozambique.

More importantly, we urge Sadc to move with speed in implementing the above recommendations.