Adopted by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), at its 1119^th Ministerial Meeting held on 7 November 2022, on the Situation in Mozambique and Operations of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM): 

The Peace and Security Council,

Recalling its previous decision on the situation in the northern Cabo Delgado Province, Republic of Mozambique, in particular Communique [PSC/PR/COMM.2/1062 (2022)] adopted at its 1062nd meeting held on 31 January 2022; while reaffirming its commitment to Agenda 2063 and its flagship program of Silencing the Guns by 2023;

Noting the opening remarks by H.E. Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of Namibia and Chairperson of the PSC for November 2022, and the Statement by Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; also noting the Statements by H.E. Cristóvão Chume, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Mozambique; H.E. Ambassador Jean Léon-Ilunga Ngandu, Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the AU, representing the Chairperson of the SADC Executive Council of Ministers, as well as the statement by the Representative of the European Union;

Reaffirming the solidarity of the AU with the people and Government of the Republic of Mozambique in their legitimate aspirations to effectively counter terrorism and achieve lasting peace, stability and socio-economic development; and

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:

1. Expresses deep concern over the security situation in Cabo Delgado Province and strongly condemns the terrorist attacks and the attempt of expanding such activities to other neighbouring northern provinces, which is adversely impacting the lives and livelihoods of civilians, in particular women and children, resulting in humanitarian crisis including the displacement of the affected populations;

2. Commends the commitment by the Government of the Republic of Mozambique and SADC towards addressing the threat posed by terrorist groups in Cabo Delgado Province and other affected areas, and congratulates H.E. Filipe Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique in his efforts, including facilitating humanitarian assistance, as well as efforts for reconstruction and development in Cabo Delgado, and other northern provinces;

3. Takes note of the significant progress made by SAMIM and its Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) in the fight against terrorism and pays tribute to those who continue to pay the highest price in the search for durable peace in Mozambique, while expressing its deepest condolences to the families and Government of those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of peace, security and stability in Mozambique;

4. Acknowledges the collective leadership demonstrated by SADC for its continued commitment towards the deployment of SAMIM, within the framework of the ASF, to neutralize the terrorist threat and restore state authority in Cabo Delgado;

5. Endorses the decisions of the 42nd Ordinary Summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government, held in August 2022, which includes extension of the mandate of SAMIM for one year, de-escalating the intervention from scenario 6 to scenario 5 and subsequently scenario 4, in order to allow deployment of a multi-dimensional peace support operation inclusive of civilian, military and police components;

6. Appreciates the contribution of the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) in countering terrorism and stabilizing the security situation in the affected region, based on the existing bilateral agreement with the Governments of the Republic of Mozambique, in the AU spirit of “African solutions to African problems”;

7. Welcomes the AU’s contribution to SADC, including the provision of necessary equipment from the Continental Logistics Base (CLB) in Douala, to support its efforts in ensuring the effective implementation of SAMIM's mandate; appeals to African countries with airlift capabilities to facilitate transportation of these donated equipment at the Continental Logistics Depot in Duala;

8. Underscores the need to facilitate the active and effective participation of community members in local government and the allocation of resources for addressing the socio-economic grievances of local communities;

9. Expresses gratitude to the AU’s partners, particularly the European Union, for the financial support amounting to over €14 million to the Peace Building efforts in Mozambique, including through the Early Response Mechanism (ERM), as well as the European Peace Facility;

10. Requests the Commission, to continue liaising with the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in Addis Ababa in facilitating the delivery of the equipment, directly to the Government of Mozambique at the Port of Nacala (Nampula Province), donated by the Government of the People's Republic of China, as part of military aid in support of AU peace and security efforts on the Continent;

11. Expresses concern over the logistical and financial challenges that SAMIM continues to experience, which hinders the mission from effectively discharging its mandate; in this regard, directs the Commission to continue engaging with the EU to explore all options to facilitate additional support to SAMIM, as well as to support operational capacity building of the Mozambican Defense and Security Forces (FDS) in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism;

12. Urges AU Member States and the international community to continue to provide humanitarian support to the affected communities, including internally displaced persons (IDPs);

13. Reiterates its request for the Commission and the SADC Secretariat to provide regular updates to the Council on progress in the implementation of SAMIM’s mandates to enable appropriate decisions and support as may be required;

14. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

COMMENTS