New security deal between Tanzania and Mozambique seeks to combat terrorist group

The Mozambican army has been battling the Islamist insurgents since 2017

ARUSHA - Tanzania and Mozambique have signed new defense and security deals aimed at fighting terrorism and crime along their shared border.

According to AFP, president Samia Suluhu and Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi met in Maputo during the Tanzanian head of state visit to Mozambique.

Over the last 5 years, a deadly insurgency has erupted in northern Mozambique, near the Tanzanian border that has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands.

President Nyusi said " Though normalcy is gradually returning after thousands of foreign troops from several African countries were deployed more than a year ago to quell the unrest.

The enemy is now operating in small groups trying to descend into the southern districts."

President Suluhu said as the two neighbours share a cordial relationship which connected to their boundaries.

"We have been seeing cross-border crimes and terrorism and that’s why we need a good security system in which we can protect our border".President Suluhu said.

Earlier this week president Nyusi toured the recovered port of Mocimboa da Praia, previously the de-facto headquarters of the jihadists.

In 2017, about 30 armed men launched a dawn raid on three police stations in Mocimboa da Praia -- marking the start of the insurgency.

Since then, more than 4,258 people have been killed according to conflict tracker ACLED, and 820,000 have fled their homes.

Mozambican forces, backed by Rwandan troops, said in August last year that they had driven out the militants occupying the port.

GAROWE ONLINE