This is not good for the Mozambique

[Sechaba]

On today's Sunday Times
Luxury lodges and island resorts in northern Mozambique have been destroyed or abandoned amid an increasingly bloody insurgency by militants.

Last weekend, terrified guests were flown to safety after an attack at Situ Island Resort, which is managed by South Africans Tessa and Craig Macdonald.
Earlier this month, Vamizi Lodge, on the island of the same name, was burnt to the ground.
The attacks on foreign-owned targets are the latest chapter in a three-year campaign of murder and mayhem in Cabo Delgado province.
“We find it incredible that the international community is not engaging in this in a military capacity,” said the owner of Vamizi, British executive Henry Pitman, adding that the insurgents are operating “right next door” to the huge Total/ExxonMobil liquefied natural gas development — the biggest foreign direct investment in Africa to date.

[Erwin Schimper]

No oil. No action

[duncang]

Loved the bit where SA military are holding back

[Tom13]

There was a convoy of military vehicles on the N1 highway on Friday. The obvious oil leaks on those were an eye opener. But lets look on the bright side, at least they were all moving.

Loved the bit where SA military are holding back

[Wayne Madsen]

Craig and Tess are personal mates of mine, they are all okay and busy moving stuff to the mainland at Pemba as we speak. They also in the process of rebuilding Situ.

On today's Sunday Times
Luxury lodges and island resorts in northern Mozambique have been destroyed or abandoned amid an increasingly bloody insurgency by militants.

Last weekend, terrified guests were flown to safety after an attack at Situ Island Resort, which is managed by South Africans Tessa and Craig Macdonald.
Earlier this month, Vamizi Lodge, on the island of the same name, was burnt to the ground.
The attacks on foreign-owned targets are the latest chapter in a three-year campaign of murder and mayhem in Cabo Delgado province.
“We find it incredible that the international community is not engaging in this in a military capacity,” said the owner of Vamizi, British executive Henry Pitman, adding that the insurgents are operating “right next door” to the huge Total/ExxonMobil liquefied natural gas development — the biggest foreign direct investment in Africa to date.

[jelo]

If I was 20 years younger......

[HugoNotte]

Loved the bit where SA military are holding back

Until last year this time the Russian "Wagner Group" of mercenaries were active in Cabo Delgado. Saw them refuel in Pemba a couple of times. But even they couldn't do much.
Total staff is only allowed to fly to the Afungi camp, no road transport.

[coenvanwyk]

Military action is not going to do much until the governance problems and corruption is sorted. Such a pity, I wanted to do a long trip there.

[moetbiedjiewegkom]

Reading on other groups indicates more than 'simple' terrorism. Some even implicate the opposition party. Lots of opportunity for corrupted officials, and like in most of Africa, the citizenrie's well being will be the last to be considered.

[Jayefe]

"MOZAMBIQUE 502
News reports & clippings

27 September 2020
=========

Editor: Joseph Hanlon ( [email protected])

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Articles may be freely reprinted but please cite the source.
===========================
Attached: this newsletter in pdf
=============================
In this issue
Military support
+ Mozambique asks EU for military help
+ European parliament points to poverty, inequality
+ Government says donors and lenders returning
+ Choosing sides
+ Police claim control of empty Mocimboa, from a distance
UAE and Dhubai
+ What UAE role in Mozambique?
+ Is Eric Prince coming?
Other news
+ Guebuza to be interrogated over secret debt
+ Renamo Junta small war continues
+ Covid-19 growth continues, mainly in Maputo
======================
Mozambique asks EU for military help

Mozambique has asked the EU for "support in the area of specialist training for the fight against terrorism and insurgency." This support could take the form of training, logistics for the forces fighting the insurgency, equipment for medical assistance in combat zones, and technical capacity building. The explicit request for military support was sent by Foreign Minister Veronica Macamo to EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell on 16 September, several months after the EU made a vague offer of support.

The letter was sent a week after an 8 September meeting between Borrell and Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva. Portugal is pushing Mozambique's case and Silva said that there was a "terrorist and jihadist insurgency" in Cabo Delgado. In an interview with Lusa on 24 September he said "I am confident that the EU will respond positively" to the Mozambican request for military help. In part this is because Portugal will be president of the Council of the European Union for the first half of 2021.

In exchange, Mozambique has agreed to open a dialogue with the EU on humanitarian issues.

European parliament says root causes
are poverty, human rights violations

But a highly critical European parliament resolution was overwhelmingly approved on 17 September. It admits that the "Mozambican army is ill-equipped to deal with the surge in terrorism," but the resolution puts more emphasis on internal causes.

The resolution stresses "the need to work towards the elimination of some of the root causes of terrorism such as insecurity, poverty, human rights violations, inequality, exclusion, unemployment, environmental degradation, corruption and misuse of public funds, impunity, thereby contributing immensely to the eradication of terrorist organisations."

Parliament "underlines the importance of pursuing the necessary reforms in order to adequately respond to the needs of the Mozambican people, preventing them from being vulnerable targets of radicalisation; underlines in particular the urgent need to create jobs and opportunities for the people in Cabo Delgado, in particular young people."

The resolution "considers it of the utmost importance that the local population, in particular in the poorest provinces of the country, benefit from the exploitation of their natural resources [and] calls on the government to fairly allocate incomes from exploitation projects to local development projects."

The European parliament says that the "Mozambican government security forces have responded with disproportionate violence, at times in contravention of international human rights commitments." It "calls on the Government of Mozambique to launch an independent and impartial investigation into torture and other grave violations allegedly committed by its security forces in Cabo Delgado." It cautions that "barbaric actions attributed to Al-Shabaab should not be met by further violations of human rights by the security forces of Mozambique."

Finally, it notes "incidents of crackdowns on freedom of expression, as well as harassment of journalists." The full text is on: https://clubofmozambique.com/wp-cont...20-0235_EN.pdf "

[jelo]

JAFAS.

So sad. So much potential ruined by African politicians.

Combine this pathetic governance with the refusal to allow FDI in property and you have a recipe for disengagement by many foreigners.

And so the spiral gets steeper and tighter.

When will Africa ever learn how to fix itself?
Why is Moz not asking the AU for help?

[Jayefe]

Craig and Tess are personal mates of mine, they are all okay and busy moving stuff to the mainland at Pemba as we speak. They also in the process of rebuilding Situ.

I was in Situ last year at end of July ; having crossed all the way from Niassa Reserve we were staying in pemba and met with Craig who arranged a boat trip to the island ;It is very sad and traumatic what has happened ; I hope that Situ recovers and stays safe for the future ; what a fantastic destination with excellent infrastructure (including power pack battery plant /solar power system , desalination plant , restaurant area , pub , excellent diving sites and snorkelling , ...) !
Unfortunately Vamizi also went through the same type of attack ...;I hope that they too recover and stay safe for the future ! For years I have been telling friends in mozambique - watch out for terrorist attacks .... quirimba islands are just too vulnerable...
Over the years ( 2002 to 2019) and during holidays spent in quinga ,pemba, ilha de mocambique and lumbo I have heard similar stories of discontent ,despair , poverty, detachment ... from local population; terrorism might just be the violent expression of a much sinister and alarming "insurgency" which breeds and is fed internally.

[Spliffcat]

History repeats.
Such a pity a beautiful part of Mozambique.

[Sias]

What was it that Trump said about african countries?
At least moz is fully decolonised, the african utopia so touted by african leaders, african solutions for african problems etc.etc.etc.etc..... As asked - where is the AU?
How long before it spills over to us? Come to think of it, there is already low level of terrorism going in here...

[vanderw]

Very sad indeed.

I believe DYKE is pretty operational in the northern parts trying to make a difference.

Wouldn't want to be one of these guys though.

[tashtego9]

I was in Situ last year at end of July ; having crossed all the way from Niassa Reserve we were staying in pemba and met with Craig who arranged a boat trip to the island ;It is very sad and traumatic what has happened ; I hope that Situ recovers and stays safe for the future ; what a fantastic destination with excellent infrastructure (including power pack battery plant /solar power system , desalination plant , restaurant area , pub , excellent diving sites and snorkelling , ...) !
Unfortunately Vamizi also went through the same type of attack ...;I hope that they too recover and stay safe for the future ! For years I have been telling friends in mozambique - watch out for terrorist attacks .... quirimba islands are just too vulnerable...
Over the years ( 2002 to 2019) and during holidays spent in quinga ,pemba, ilha de mocambique and lumbo I have heard similar stories of discontent ,despair , poverty, detachment ... from local population; terrorism might just be the violent expression of a much sinister and alarming "insurgency" which breeds and is fed internally.

So true. I also visit (or should I say 'visited') those areas at times and the corruption and lack of any opportunities for young people is blatant.

The government in Maputo have totally neglected this area over the years and this is the result.

Hopefully, the current president Nyusi being from the area (Mossuril district), he has a vested interest.

It would be good if the EU sent some sort
of contingent... Tanzania can also be brought on board to hekp...but long term the only solution is to invest in the area and create jobs, otherwise you have another boko haram in the making .

[Sias]

It would be good if the EU sent some sort of contingent...

Just out of curiosity - why should the EU send some sort of contingent? Why not the AU? Are they not directly involved, with the most to lose? I'm not a political fundi, but it seems logical that you sort out your own continent's affairs before running for outside help?

[jelo]

...but long term the only solution is to invest in the area and create jobs, otherwise you have another boko haram in the making .

The problem is that not many will invest without being allowed to own the title deed.

Would you?

Too many stories of Moz officials from the ruling party chasing resort owners out and taking over the premises. Frelimo's hate for Renamo has caused the problem. But any ruling party can't votes itself in without compliance from the population.

Africa deserves the leadership they have. Crying to the EU? To what end? Colonialism ended there 45 years ago over the barrel of a gun, are you saying any African leader will concede defeat and allow the EU to step in?

[jelo]

Just out of curiosity - why should the EU send some sort of contingent? Why not the AU? Are they not directly involved, with the most to lose? I'm not a political fundi, but it seems logical that you sort out your own continent's affairs before running for outside help?

spot on bru

[julius caesar]

13 or so superb holidays Xai Xai, Zavora, Barra, Paindane, Guinjata, Morrungulo.

Now, no more it seems..................