Rwandan defence and security chiefs alongside their Mozambican counterparts on Sunday agreed to establish joint security teams that will among others design new strategies to improve the stabilization and security sector reform process in the Cabo Delgado province and beyond.
The development, was announced following a security meeting at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) General Headquarters in Kigali to forge a way forward against the ongoing counterterrorism operations in Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique.
Officials said that the move comes at a critical stage in realizing sustainable peace and progress in the area that has so far recovered from insurgents.
The meeting was attended by the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Jean-Bosco Kazura, Chief of General Staff (CGS) for Mozambique Armed Defense Forces (FADM), Admiral Joacquim Rivas Mangrasse, Inspector General of RNP, Dan Munyuza, as well as his visiting counterpart, General Commander Bernardino Rafael.
Also present at the meeting was Secretary General of the National Intelligence and Security Services Maj. Gen. Joseph Nzabamwita.
The Mozambican defence and security officials are in Rwanda for a three-day official visit, under which both sides will review the security situation in Cabo Delgado province and devise measures to succeed in ongoing operations in the province.
Speaking during the meeting, Gen. Admiral Joacquim Rivas Mangrasse said that the visit is aimed at thanking the Government of Rwanda in general and its security organs in particular, for helping to fight Islamic State linked terrorits and restoring security in Cabo Delgado Province.
"We came here to thank the Government of Rwanda but also to discuss further security arrangements to support Mozambican forces in their journey to improve their capacity through training, on one hand and fighting the insurgents wherever they may be," Admiral said.
The insurgents, he added, were significantly weakened and that these joint efforts will continue to build from these results.
The restoration
Exactly six months ago, Rwandan troops were deployed to support the Mozambican security organs in counterterrorism operations in Cabo Delgado province, four years after armed extremists linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) launched an insurgency in the area.
The operations have so far been able to restore state authority in the province, flush out the Ansar Al Sunna terrorists, RDF said in a statement.
As it stands, the statement added, forces are now engaged in stabilisation and security reforms including repatriating the affected civilians from internally displaced camps to their respective homes.
The complete recovery of Cabo Delgado has also seen the resumption of economic activities in the region.
Rwanda and Mozambique remain committed to reform the security sector through training and capacity development of Mozambican security forces, reads part of the statement.