Tanzania receives troops to bolster its borders against Cabo Delgado terrorism

While details are still being finalized for the deployment of the American army, Chinese troops have already arrived in Dar es Salaam, the Tanzanian capital, for joint military exercises with the same objective.

Thus, the country bordering Mozambique's northern province of Cabo Delgado is positioning itself with strong allies to repel any insurgency attempts from Cabo Delgado.

Dar es Salaam's decision to ally with military powers aims to prevent the prolonged conflict between rebel elements, supported by the Islamic State, and the Mozambican armed forces in Cabo Delgado from spreading beyond the Rovuma River, which separates the two countries.

“We believe there are opportunities to strengthen our security partnership to help address the terrorist challenges on Tanzania’s southern border,” said John Bass, Acting Under Secretary for Political Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday, concluding a trip to the country.

While protecting itself at the highest level, Mozambique remains committed to its belief that the solution for Cabo Delgado lies with Paul Kagame, with whom Filipe Nyusi has signed secret agreements for the entry of the Rwandan army into the country to halt the spread of terrorism.

Due to distrust in the operational theater, the SADC troops have already left the country, and the space left is being filled by the arrival of more Rwandan troops, under clandestine understandings.

The increase of these troops on national soil occurs at a time when Paul Kagame is labeled by international critics as a “double-edged sword,” precisely because Rwanda supports a rebel group destabilizing the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Rwandan presence in Mozambique raises concerns in the region due to its involvement in conflicts in eastern DRC and business through the company Crystal Ventures.

It should be noted that the United States, with its robust army and an annual budget of 916 billion dollars, expressed interest in supporting the Mozambican army in fighting terrorism before finalizing the agreement with Tanzania.

This proposal, made at the end of 2021, has not yet received an official response from Mozambique. Despite this, the Americans remain available to assist.

Initially, Nyusi told Mozambicans that the Rwandan presence was at no cost, based on mutual aid. However, recent signs indicate a multi-million-dollar deal.

Besides the 20 million euros, under discussion to be raised to 40 million euros by the European Union for the Rwandan presence in Cabo Delgado, recently, a Rwandan security company signed contracts worth 1.5 billion dollars to protect TotalEnergies' interests at the Afungi logistics base, where the petrochemical company will exploit natural gas.

While Mozambican political power makes decisions based on individual interests, ignoring the threat terrorism represents, Chinese warships have landed in Tanzania at the port of Dar es Salaam, transporting troops to combat terrorism both on land and at sea.

The insurgency has caused over 4,000 deaths and displaced 946,000 people since 2017 in Mozambique. The humanitarian crisis in Cabo Delgado has intensified with the violence, displacing more than 80,000 people in 2024 alone.