Mozambique, Tanzania reach deal to fight terrorism

The leaders of Mozambique and Tanzania have signed defense and security agreements aimed at fighting terrorism and crime along their shared border.

No details were released on the content of the agreements signed during a visit to Maputo by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Wednesday (September 21).

A deadly insurgency broke out in northern Mozambique near the Tanzanian border five years ago, killing thousands and displacing hundreds of thousands.

However, life is "gradually returning to normal" after thousands of foreign troops from several African countries were deployed more than a year ago to quell the unrest, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said.

"The enemy is now operating in small groups trying to come down to the southern districts," Nyusi said in their talks.

President Hassan said that because the two neighbors share a "very long" border, "we need a good security system that allows us to protect our border."

"We have seen ... cross-border crimes (and) terrorism," he said.

Nyusi visited the recovered port of Mocimboa da Praia, a former de facto jihadist headquarters, on Tuesday.

In October 2017, about 30 gunmen launched a dawn raid on three police stations in Mocimboa da Praia, marking the beginning of the insurgency.

Since then, more than 4,258 people have been killed, according to ACLED, and 820,000 have fled their homes.

Mozambican forces, backed by Rwandan troops, claimed in August 2021 to have driven out the militants occupying the port.