Despite the progress, the Club of Mozambique media house reported, Nyusi warned of the need for vigilance because ‘the enemy was dangerous’.

Nyusi made the revelation on Tuesday, speaking in the northern city of Nampula during a speech alluding to the celebrations of Victory Day, which marks the signing of the Lusaka Accords, initialled on 7 September 1974 between the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) and the Portuguese government, paving the way for the proclamation of the country’s independence.

“At this moment, we have recovered almost all the ground that the terrorists had occupied, and combative clearing and clarification operations are underway. The enemy-hunting offensives we have carried out in recent weeks with the Defence and Security Forces at the forefront (…) are suffocating the enemy,” said Nyusi.

“Success in the war against armed groups in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, is supported by the government forces of Rwanda, the military mission of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and veterans of the national liberation struggle,” he added.

Nyusi revealed that the next course of action is the re-establishment of energy, water, mobile phone, banking, roads, bridges and health centres infrastructures, among others.

The Mozambican head of state said that the people displaced by the armed violence in Cabo Delgado feel encouraged to return to their homes due to the expulsion of the armed groups.

“The situation improves every day, which leads to some people returning; however, we advise them to observe the recommendations concerning the security measures to be observed,” he noted.

Nyusi pointed out that among the “ringleaders” of the armed groups are citizens of Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somalia, Rwanda and Kenya, who “recruit” Mozambicans for their actions.

“The ringleaders of this criminal group have never shown their faces, and therefore the Mozambican people still do not know them,” he said.

Nyusi said that the actions of the armed groups resulted in the death of more than 2,000 people, the flight of more than 850,000 and the destruction of hundreds of social and economic infrastructures.

According to the Club of Mozambique, the Victory Day celebrations were marked by the awarding of decorations to 1,547 veterans of the national liberation struggle across the country to recognise their achievements in the war against Portuguese colonialism.

Rwandan soldiers pictured on stance in Mbau, on of regions seized recently from insurgents.

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