This archive report was first published on 23 October 2021.
Published on October 23, 2021, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has pledged to support regional efforts to counter the insurgency in Mozambique, a move that could effectively mean a bloc-to-bloc support to end the scourge of violence in the southern African country.
At a meeting with his Malawian counterpart Lazarus Chakwera in Nairobi, Kenyatta said Mozambique's situation is an overall concern for the continent, and pledged to support regional efforts to counter the violence.
Dr Chakwera, the current Chairman of the southern Africa bloc, SADC, was on a three-day state visit to Nairobi, his first official trip to Nairobi since he took power in 2020. The visit was significant because his bloc recently sent troops to Mozambique to combat an insurgency fuelled by a group colloquially known as Al-Shabaab, but not related to the Somali terror group of the same name.
Incidentally, President Kenyatta is the chairman of the East African Community, whose member Rwanda has already sent troops to Mozambique in a bilateral arrangement with Maputo.
"Kenya is concerned with the current situation in Mozambique. In this regard, Kenya commends and supports the steps taken by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), under your able chairmanship, of working with Mozambique in neutralizing the terrorist threats in that country," Kenyatta told his guest, during a bilateral meeting at State House on Thursday.
"As friends of Mozambique, we stand ready to support your efforts," he added.
The two leaders vowed to support Africa's "strategic partnerships", identifying insecurity and targeted expansion of regional trade as key. They also signed a number of collaborative arrangements meant to cement their respective leaders' calls for "intricate fraternal bonds", and secure prosperity.
The agreements include memoranda of understanding on defence, political and diplomatic consultations, health, tourism, cooperatives, training, fisheries development as well as aquaculture.
