by Staff reporter
President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday left the country for Mozambique as SADC member states try to find ways to counter insurgency in that country’s Cabo Delgado Province
The insurgency, which reportedly started in October 2017 is said to have intensified in the first half of 2020 and more than 2 000 people have been reportedly killed while more than 300 000 have been displaced. Civilians have been the main target of the terrorists calling itself Ansar al Sunnar and claiming to have links with ISIS.
President Mnangagwa has since condemned disturbances in the neighbouring country and has vowed to assist in stamping out the insurgency.
Writing on his Twitter handle last month, President Mnangagwa said the safety of the region was of great importance.
“I am deeply shocked by reports of terrorist activities in Mozambique. These acts of barbarity must be stamped out whenever they are found. Zimbabwe is ready to assist in any way we can. The security of our region is paramount in the protection of our people,” said the President.
Meanwhile, political analysts have urged SADC to make use of Article 6(1) and implement its 2015 counter-terrorism strategy to help combat the insurgency in northern Mozambique and prevent a spill-over into the region like what happened with the Boko Haram.
“As you are aware, various SADC instruments oblige the regional body to come to Mozambique’s aid. For instance, Article 6(1) of the SADC Mutual Defence Pact stipulates that ‘an armed attack against a state party shall be considered a threat to regional peace and security and such, an attack shall be met with immediate collective action. SADC must make use of that article and assist Mozambique before it’s too late,” said political analyst Takesure Mlotshwa
In addition, Mlotshwa said, “SADC’s 2015 regional counter-terrorism strategy, which was developed in line with the United Nations global counter-terrorism strategy, provides for assistance in preventing of youth radicalisation, border security, humanitarian aid and tackling the root causes of terrorism.”
The SADC summit of the Troika of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security held in Harare on 19 May 2020 put the Mozambican insurgency on the SADC agenda. But after hours of deliberations, the meeting concluded its work without any concrete resolution.
Zimbabweans have been debating on whether the country as a SADC member, could take unilateral military action as this would undermine the regional body, with the majority suggesting that Zimbabwe should intervene through SADC.
In 2003 SADC signed a Mutual Defence Pact that encouraged the combination of member states' military forces into a SADC standby force to assist democratically elected governments that were threatened.
It will be more prudent for Zimbabwe to work through SADC and to invoke the tenets of the Mutual Defence Pact in order to ensure there is stability in Mozambique and to avoid direct confrontation with the Islamists as this may provoke them to come and attack Zimbabwe.
