Mozambique’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Manuel Gonçalves, said that Nigeria had expressed its willingness to help Mozambique in the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado.
Deputy Minister Gonçalves spoke to the press in Maputo after Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário had met Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, who brought a message of solidarity to President Filipe Nyusi from his counterpart, Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the two diplomats, Muhammadu Buhari in the message sympathises with Mozambique on the subject of Cyclone Eloise, the Covid-19 pandemic and terrorism in Cabo Delgado, and says that Nigeria is ready to cooperate in any way the Mozambican government might see fit.
On the same occasion, Nigeria asked for Mozambique’s support in its bid for the leadership of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), elections for which are expected to take place during the AU summit scheduled for 6 and 7 February.
Four countries – Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa and Burkina Faso – are vying for the leadership of the Council, in a process that, for the first time, includes the pre-selection of candidates by an independent panel.
Geoffrey Onyeama said in turn that Nigeria had been struggling with the terrorist group Boko Harram for years, and was aware of the challenges involved. It is available to share its experience and provide any type of support that Mozambique might request, he added.
As for support for the AU Peace and Security Council, Geoffrey Onyeama said that Mozambique, as current president of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), was in a position to influence other regional bloc member states.
