Maputo — Mozambican Defence Minister Cristóvão Chume has condemned the behaviour of those citizens who try to devalue the commitment and bravery of the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM) in the fight against the terrorism that has been plaguing parts of the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
The minister was speaking on Tuesday, in Cuamba City, in the northern province of Niassa, during the ceremonies marking the 47th anniversary of the FADM Army Branch, an event held under the slogan "Army Committed to Improvement to Face Current Demands".
Chume argued that those who denounce the FADM on social media are effectively supporting violent extremism, in Cabo Delgado, where the FADM, supported by military contingents of the Southern African Development Community (SAMIM) and the Rwandan Defense Forces, continue to carry out operations to eliminate terrorists.
The "amnesia" of those opposed to anti-terrorist operations "should not discourage the real feeling that our people have that Mozambique will always remain independent. We have defended this homeland since national independence with these Armed Forces, with this branch, the Army, at the forefront, and it will always be so", said Chume.
According to the Minister, solidarity from other countries will not replace the constitutional role and mandate of the FADM, and particularly the specific missions of the Army branch.
He noted that nations around the world are currently faced with threats of a military and non-military nature, due to the occurrence, with greater frequency, of natural disasters.
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"It is in this new dimension that we look and move towards, recognizing the incessant need to empower the Army so that it can project its power to meet the demands of climate change and also of the multiple needs of our people", he explained.
He added that the needs of the Army branch, pillar of the transformations of the FADM, are currently expressed in the Northern Operational Theater, especially in some districts of Cabo Delgado.
"We believe that our followers will not disarm", he stressed. "We will not give up, come what may, whatever it takes, we will win".
"Today, we can guarantee that our country will never be defeated, because our troops are determined to defend every millimeter of our territory, and guarantee the security of our borders", stressed Chume.
Since the first jihadist raids in October 2017, the terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado have left nearly 4,000 people dead and forced around 900,000 citizens to flee from their homes.
