Rwanda Security Forces (RSF) in Mozambique are expanding their intervention in the northern province of Cabo Delgado by supporting local communities in the form of providing basic social services such as crop seeds, medical treatment, and scholastic materials.

The support is meant to foster civil-military cooperation and community policing in Palma and Mocimboa da Praia districts which were once hard hit by terrorist attacks by the Islamic State-linked insurgency, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) said in a statement on Thursday, April 4.

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"The RSF has identified several challenges ranging from prevalence of extreme poverty and lack of basic requirements such as seeds for crop production to support farmers fight the threat of food shortages in the province," read part of the statement.

"The purpose of this assistance is to improve the livelihood of the population and to ensure food security by bolstering local food production and alleviating poverty which fuels conflict."

From January 2024, support was provided to the residents of Pundanhar village in Palma District, Natandola, Chinda and Mbau villages of Mocimboa da Praia District. Items provided include rice and maize seeds, beans and peanuts.

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The RSF interacted and sensitised the population on how to effectively cultivate and plant seeds. Rwandan forces also donated scholastic materials, including exercise books, rulers, chalk, and pens, to students of primary and secondary schools in the RSF&039;s area of responsibility.

The activity will continue in all schools of Mocimboa da Praia and Palma districts. RSF also conducted medical outreach activities in various villages of Palma and Mocimboa da Praia districts.

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Since July 2021, Rwanda and Mozambique cooperate in ways that include military operations in the Mozambican coastal region of Cabo Delgado which had been paralyzed by the Ansar al-Sunnah wal Jama'a, a group linked to the Islamic State.

Until Rwanda&039;s deployment to Cabo Delgado, the terrorists had wreaked havoc in the coastal region rich in natural gas, killing more than 4,000 civilians and displacing tens of thousands of residents since 2017.

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Thanks to joint operations by Rwandan and Mozambican armed forces, more than 250,000 displaced people have returned to their homes. Economic activities resumed in districts such as Palma, Mocimboa da Praia, and Ancuabe, where the Rwandan troops operate.