“This time around, it is easier to operate”- RDF spokesperson on military operations in Cabo Delgado

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00:00 Ansar al-Sunna wa Jama'a is a terrorist organization that has links with IS, Islamic State.

00:09 We tried to establish the links.

00:11 Actually its name comes from Islamic State and this was Islamic State of the Central

00:19 African Province, IS-CAP.

00:23 So it's a big network that connects actually with the one in DRC.

00:28 So there are indeed, as you rightly put it, this is an organization that was trying to

00:32 expand into Mozambique and it picked areas that were relatively, should I say, not very

00:43 populated.

00:44 We've carried out three operations as previously mentioned.

00:49 We have worked jointly with SADC to operate in the major strongholds of Ansar al-Sunna

00:55 wa Jama'a in Katupa Forest in Makomia and we successfully dislodged them twice.

01:03 And the few remnants that are there, because it's a very big forest, are also periodically

01:09 engaged and it is very important for us to be consistent, to continuously operate in

01:16 those areas in order to deny them freedom of action.

01:20 How long are we going to be here?

01:22 We are now undertaking several steps towards building the security sector, supporting in

01:29 the building of the security sector.

01:31 We don't have a time frame, but we are in the process of building capacity to ensure

01:39 that whenever we make the decision, they will be able to operate on their own.

01:45 Mossibu Adipraya and Palma, no recent attacks.

01:51 The only minor attacks that have occurred are along the Messaro River, which borders

01:56 between Mossibu Adipraya and Makomia.

02:02 And these are remnants of Katupa Forest who keep coming in, but they do not capture territory.

02:09 They only conduct nuisance attacks on various local communities there, trading centres.

02:18 But whenever they come, they get a bloody beating.

02:21 So I can say to a large extent that they've been controlled.

02:29 Well the advantages of being in a bilateral relation, and here we are talking about Mozambique

02:36 and Central African Republic where the Rwanda forces are in a bilateral arrangement, is

02:42 that we choose to set the rules, which is different in a multilateral set-up like the

02:47 United Nations.

02:49 So whenever we want to operate, we don't wait for the UN headquarters to give us a

02:55 go ahead.

02:57 Two, doctrine.

02:59 The fact that there are multiple countries involved in an operation means that you need

03:03 to agree on the modus operandi.

03:06 You have to agree on how to fight.

03:11 So in a bilateral set-up, it is very easy for you to conduct operations whenever you

03:15 feel like, however you feel like.

03:18 And this creates quick success.

03:21 And that is why our bilateral forces have been quite successful.

03:26 The first challenge that we had on arrival is the destruction of infrastructure.

03:32 Communication network, electricity.

03:35 Now there is a return to virtually everything.

03:38 You have your cell phones on right now, you have internet throughout.

03:42 So it's easy to operate now.

03:44 It's much better than it was.

03:46 That is in regard to infrastructure, because that's also very critical in operations.

03:53 The other challenge we had initially was the fact that there was no one in town.

03:58 Now we have lots of people have returned back to their homes, so it's easy to man.

04:03 So when the insurgents remove everyone from their location, it becomes very difficult

04:08 to come to a ghost town and operate.

04:13 But today it is clear that people have returned, so that makes it easier for us to operate

04:19 and to mobilize them even more to fight against the insurgents.

04:24 And one thing I should say is that an insurgent needs a population to survive.

04:29 So the fact that the population is coming back from the bushes to their homes is testament

04:36 to the growing, should I say, defeat or failure of the insurgents.

04:42 We have trained the first cohort of Mozambicans in Rwanda who graduated a couple of days ago

04:52 in special advanced training.

04:55 It's a mini special force.

04:57 And yeah, that's about 150.

05:01 But we'll expand that.

05:02 It was just the beginning.

05:04 We'll expand that further.

05:07 And one thing we'll do is that we'll actually train trainers, TOT, so that they can be able

05:13 to train others.

05:16 That's our philosophy.

05:17 The moment you train a specific cohort, that group will be able to transfer knowledge to

05:23 many others.

05:25 So that's what we are doing.

05:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]

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