South Africa Looking To Intervene in Mozambique War
South Africa Looking To Intervene in Mozambique War
South Africa is examining the possibility of a major military intervention in the Islamist insurgency in neighboring Mozambique. Some South African special forces troops are already in-country to help the Mozambican forces.
The insurgency began when a little-known Mozambican militant group, called Ansar al-Sunna launched an attack on police stations and other government buildings in the town of Mocímboa da Praia, in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. The Mozambican military responded to this and other attacks in a heavy-handed manner, which only helped the Ansar al-Sunna find more recruits among the northern province’s Muslim community. The Cabo Delgado province, is rich in natural gas and oil. The fairly recent discovery of the large deposits of gas and oil led the government to sign contracts with international oil companies that enriched the government, but did little for the local population, many of whom were disenfranchised from their land to make way for the exploitation of these resources. Also, beginning around 2012, a local religious movement began that called for Sharia, or Islamic law, to replace the government. The Ansar al-Sunna force grew from that movement.
The insurgents are now aligned with the Islamic State (ISIS), which adds a dangerous connection to the international reach of the major Jihadist force in the Middle East region.
The Mozambican government, over the past year or so, has employed mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group, as well as South African-based Dyck Advisory Group.
The South African government is concerned about the potential of this insurgency to grow to the point that it spreads to neighboring nations. The example of the spread of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria from a local conflict to a regional problem is something that South Africa and the other nations around Mozambique would like to avoid.
In June, 2020, it was revealed that South African special forces troops were in Mozambique, assisting government forces there, after the Mozambique government officially requested assistance from neighboring states.
