Mozambican and Rwandan armies retake all towns and villages occupied by terrorists .

By Jorge Joaquim

The joint force of Mozambican and Rwandan troops fighting terrorists in Cabo Delgado province has retaken all the towns and villages which had been in terrorist hands, President Filipe Nyusi announced yesterday on the occasion of Mozambique’s Victory Day public holiday.

He made it clear that there would be no negotiation with the terrorists, an idea that has been suggested by former president Joaquim Chissano.

Nyusi urged the local population to be cautious when returning to their home settlements and to follow the guidance of the local authorities, to ensure their safety.

Residents of the area around the administrative post of Miteda, for example, have been told to stay away from the area by the various military forces fighting the terrorist insurgency in the province, as they suspect there may still be terrorist hideouts in the area.

The joint Mozambican and Rwandan force recently recovered the terrorist base of N’tchinga, located around 6km from the district headquarters of Namacande district, which was also occupied several times by insurgents, but other bases could be nearby.

According to Nyusi, the identity of the heads of the terrorist group is still unknown. However, he said that there were nationals of Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Burundi, Uganda and Mozambique among the leadership.

However, the US Department of State recently named the Mozambican citizen Bonomade Omar as a key leader of the terrorists, whose name was already known locally.