Rwanda’s new commander in Cabo Delgado

Good afternoon. The Rwanda Security Forces (RSF) in Cabo Delgado province have a new commander - Major General Emmy Ruvusha. He takes over at a critical moment in Rwanda’s mission in Mozambique, presiding over an expanded force of over 4,000 soldiers and police, a large contingent of whom are currently committed to the major offensive in Macomia district.

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From the Zitamar Live Blog:

Zitamar Mozambique Live Blog

Major General Alex Kagame has been replaced as commander of the Rwanda Security Forces in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province by Major General Emmy Ruvusha (pictured). Kagame was appointed commander of Rwandan forces in Mozambique in August last year. A United Nations report in 2022 named him as a commander of operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Rwanda officially denies having deployed any troops. Ruvusha previously served as commander of the Rwanda Defence Forces in Kigali and Rwanda’s Eastern Province.

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Zitamar Mozambique Live Blog

Police arrested 17 people, mostly Pakastani nationals, and seized 608 vehicles, in an operation cracking down on money laundering in Maputo yesterday. The Attorney General’s Office also ordered 24 car dealerships suspected of being involved in the money laundering scheme to suspend activities.

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Zitamar Mozambique Live Blog

British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton visited the Maratane refugee settlement in Nampula province, partnering with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. He shared photos of his visit to a school in the settlement on his Instagram page yesterday. Maratane hosts over 9,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. Hamilton wrote: “Being able to meet some of these people is not an experience I take lightly. Whether they’ve been displaced due to conflict or natural disasters, they strive for themselves, their families, and their histories every day. “The strength, spirit, and resilience of the people I met will stick with me for the rest of my life, as will the compassion of those working on the ground to defend and protect their lives every day.”

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Ruvusha has a tough job ahead of him. The Macomia offensive is the largest Cabo Delgado has seen since Rwandan troops first landed in the province in 2021 and forced the insurgents from their strongholds in Mocímboa da Praia and Mbau. The withdrawal of the Southern African Development Community’s military forces in July means the RSF is now undisputedly the primary actor fighting Islamic State Mozambique. The Mozambicans themselves are present but have taken a backseat in the battle for Macomia.