Maputo (AIM-New Ziana) -Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has said the solution to the armed violence in Cabo Delgado province is not purely a military one, suggesting the need to boost development of the region and promote employment.

Insurgents have been carrying out armed attacks in the province of Cabo Delgado since October 2017, which have destroyed infrastructure and killed at least 1 059 people.

“The solution to the problem of Cabo Delgado is not just military; we recognise the need to boost socio-economic development and promote greater social harmony,” he said while officiating at the Police Training School in Matalane, Maputo province, at the end of the 40th Basic Course of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique.

Investigations have established that young Mozambicans were being recruited to the insurgency in the neighbouring province of Nampula due to the lack of opportunities for local youth.

To address the situation, the Mozambican government in March this year created the Agency for Integrated Development of the North (ADIN), to promote employment for youth in the region.

ADIN will take advantage of the natural resources in the region, and focus on supporting and enlisting local youth in inclusive strategies which guarantee more jobs.

“As a government, I am sure that we will continue to develop these actions aimed at restoring stability, protection and improving the lives of those affected,” President Nyusi said.

President Nyusi took the opportunity to request Mozambicans to assist in supporting those affected, adding that the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces would continue to do their job of capturing the “terrorists” and subsequently holding them accountable.

According to the United Nations, armed violence in Cabo Delgado, where billion-dollar natural gas projects are under way, has led to the displacement of some 250 000 people from districts affected by the insurgency.

AIM/New Ziana