Maputo — The African Union (AU) has pledged to continue supporting the Mozambican authorities in the fight against Islamist terrorists and for the restoration of peace in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

According to Miguel Bembe, Chairperson of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (PSC-UA), who was speaking, on Monday, in Maputo, during an audience granted by Deputy Foreign Minister, Manuel Gonçalves, the AU commitment to support Mozambique results from the absolute need to protect the country's sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity.

Bembe encouraged the Mozambican authorities to share information about the humanitarian situation in Cabo Delgado so that the continent, as a whole, may provide solutions to relief the victims of extreme violence.

Bembe also praised the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programme for former Renamo guerrillas as a positive achievement that can be used as an example for other countries.

Between 2019 and June of this year, about 5,000 members of the Renamo militia were demobilized under the DDR, and the final 16 Renamo military bases were closed.

"There are several lessons learned over this time that can serve as a reference for other countries, but there are other challenges that still deserve the AU's support', Bembe said.

For his part, Goncalves expressed his gratitude for the response of the AU in supporting the country against terrorism, saying that the adoption of a resolution on the financing of AU-led peace support operations, in December 2023, "was important for strengthening the response against the enemy.'

"We look forward to this resolution being implemented definitively', he said.