Mozambique declares end of insurgency after capturing last rebel camps in Cabo Delgado with regional support.

Mozambique announced on Thursday that it has taken control of the last remaining training camps used by insurgent rebels in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, marking what officials describe as the conclusion of a prolonged insurgency.

Ricardo Macuvele, Mozambique’s Chief of Defense Intelligence, credited the successful operation to the involvement of troops deployed under the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique, which played a critical role in defeating the insurgents.

Cabo Delgado, where significant offshore gas deposits were discovered in 2010, has faced instability since 2017 when militants linked to the DAESH group launched an insurgency. The conflict halted progress on gas exploitation projects. Nearly 5,800 people have been killed in the violence.

TotalEnergies, which had halted a major gas project following a deadly attack in 2021, announced earlier this year that the project would resume only when peace and security are fully restored in the region.

In a statement released by the Zambian Defense Ministry on Thursday, Macuvele acknowledged Zambia’s support in the fight against the insurgents. “Zambia also helped us a lot to contain the situation. The territory which you helped us recover from the terrorists, we still hold it, and we have even captured the last training camps for the rebels,” he said.

Macuvele made these remarks during a visit to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, where he met with Zambian Permanent Secretary for Defense, Maambo Haamaundu. Haamaundu reaffirmed Zambia’s solidarity with Mozambique in the fight against terrorism and other transnational crimes, including human trafficking.