Good afternoon. Ever since Rwandan troops moved into Cabo Delgado province to help fight the insurgency there, there has been grumbling from some parts of the Mozambican media about their role and the supposed improper benefits Rwanda has been getting as a result. So it is that broadcaster Zumbo FM has reported that some locals in the town of Mocímboa da Praia have questioned why the Rwandan troops built a market there, when they were supposed to be there to provide security (see below).
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In fact, as Zitamar reports today, public opinion in Mocímboa seems to be overwhelmingly in support of the Rwandan presence and the social work it has done, and even if some street traders were opposed to using the market, we understand that it is now occupied and being used. As well as a market, the Rwandans have also provided Mocímboa with a new school. The context for this is of course that much of Mocímboa’s public infrastructure was destroyed when it was occupied by insurgents in 2020-21, before being recaptured with Rwandan help. In addition, Rwandan forces are supplying health services in the areas they occupy, in the districts of Mocímboa da Praia, Palma and Ancuabe. This is all part of a strategy to win over the local population, something that Mozambican security forces, who (unlike the Rwandans) do not speak local languages and who are accused of brutality and extortion, have failed to do.
