Generals from Mozambique and Rwanda spoke about “new strategies” to combat terrorism

The Rwandan Security Forces Commander Maj Gen Emmy Ruvusha and Gen Julio dos Santos Jane, the Chief of General Staff of the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM), met on Friday, May 9, at Mueda in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, where Rwandan forces are engaged in counterterrorism operations.

The Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) said in a statement on Friday that the two military officials “discussed new strategies in strengthening joint efforts in the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado Province.”

The Rwanda Security Forces received praise from the Mozambican general for “the job being done in restoring peace and stability in the northern part of Mozambique.”

At the request of Maputo, Rwanda sent troops and police officials to Mozambique in July 2021 to reestablish state authority and security in Cabo Delgado, an area on the Indian Ocean coast that has been devastated by an insurgency linked to the Islamic State since 2017.

In the province of Cabo Delgado, members of the Ansar al-Sunna Wal Jamaa, a group associated with the Islamic State, have killed over 4,000 citizens and displaced hundreds of thousands more.

In most areas of the terror-torn province, peace was restored through joint operations between the Mozambican army and Rwanda Security Forces. Both armies extended their activities to the province of Nampula.

After a one-year tour of service in the Southern African nation, Maj Gen Alex Kagame was redeployed, and in September 2024, Maj Gen Ruvusha assumed leadership of Rwanda Security Forces in Mozambique.