This archive report was first published on 31 July 2021.
On July 31, 2021, Southern African countries began deploying forces to Mozambique's Cabo Delgado region to counter Islamist insurgents, marking a significant shift in the region's response to the crisis.
The move comes after months of haggling by Southern African Development Community (Sadc) leaders over the nature of the military intervention to end the bloody conflict that began in 2017.
Rwanda sent 1,000 troops to fight the extremists in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado region, followed by Botswana, which deployed 296 troops, and South Africa, which sent 1,500 soldiers.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana described the mission as 'a tricky one,' warning the troops to be aware of the enemy's use of asymmetric warfare.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe announced that it would send 304 military instructors to train Mozambican soldiers to fight the insurgents, with Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri stating that the soldiers would go to Mozambique once agreements had been signed.
Analysts at the Institute of Security Studies in South Africa, however, believe that it will take more than boots on the ground to end the Mozambique insurgency, emphasizing the need for the Mozambican government to own and drive the response to the insurgency.
