KIGALI – President Paul Kagame has dispatched the Rwandan army to Cabo Delgado, Mozambique to join the fight against terrorism in the beleaguered South African nation.
A group of 1,000 soldiers was deployed to the former Portuguese colony on Friday to help the country fight an Islamic State-linked group that is terrorising residents of Cabo Delgado.
“The Rwandan contingent will support efforts to restore Mozambican state authority through combat and security sector reform,” the government in Kigali said in a statement.
Rwanda’s decision leaves the Southern African Development Community (SADC) with an egg in its face after months of deliberation over the crisis in Mozambique without action.
Rwanda is an East African country and has already taken steps to counter the insurgency, while SADC is expected to deploy its forces soon, following a joint agreement at a troika summit in June.
At least 800,000 people have been displaced in Cabo Delgado since the terrorist group began its mad campaign.
Additionally, a $20 billion natural gas project operated by Total, a giant corporation, has been shut down.
