Bullish Mozambique President Nyusi tells Islamist militants to throw in the towel after rout

Bullish Mozambique President Nyusi tells Islamist militants to throw in the towel after rout

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Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi wants Islamist militants in its far north to surrender, saying they had nowhere to run, after allied Rwandan, Mozambican and southern African forces pushed them out of the territory they had been occupying.

Nyusi’s comments to mark Peace and National Reconciliation Day on Tuesday came a day after regional southern African forces said they had killed a senior Islamist militant leader along with 18 other fighters in an offensive on September 25.

Awadhi Ndanjile, a religious leader instrumental in recruiting and indoctrinating members of the Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama’a (ASWJ), was killed at a militants’ base in the Nangade District of Cabo Delgado, the statement from the Southern Africa Development Community’s mission in Mozambique said, using one of the names given to the country’s militants.

“We wanted to invite them not to wait for death … this is not the intention of the defence and security forces,” Nyusi said. “Surrender yourself … because you have nowhere to go … You are running from one forest to another being endlessly chased.”

A number of areas previously held by militants have been cleared, including the town of Mocimboa da Praia, more than a year after insurgents first seized it. Insurgent bases have also been destroyed, according to security forces.

While Nyusi said it was likely the leaders of the insurgency had fled, possibly even abroad, there was concern for those lower down the chain especially if they had been forced to join their ranks.

“We want our compatriots on our side, not the other side,” he added

  • A defenceweb report
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