Uncle Harvest on MILITANTS' ACTIVITIES IN CABO DELGADO MOZAMBIQUE

Militants have for some months now terrorized the Cabo Delgado area of Mozambique. Stories of villages being burnt down and erased, young children being conscripted into their fighting, and worse still is headed.

Teenager girls are being abducted, your guess is as good as mine as to what is happening to them.

To say the least, this Islamist insurgency is ruthless.

For Malawi, what is happening in this part of Mozambique must be a point of serious concern due to the area’s proximity to her eastern international boundary. In from several fronts.

First, it is easy for the insurgency to overflow into Malawi. Such terrorist activities have no respect for international boundaries.

Secondly, people that are victims of these atrocities would easily cross the border in Malawi seeking refugee.

This would not be the first time to happen. Malawi has previously hosted Mozambican displaced persons during the liberation struggle.

Thirdly, it is well known that such Islamist militants use radicalization methods that target the out-of-school and unemployed youth. The youth due to unemployment, boredom, and disillusionment are easy victims.

Fourthly, history also informs us, that militant events lead to the proliferation of illegal firearms that end up in the hands of criminal elements.

In the light of these things, it is hoped that the Malawi Security Sector players; the Defence Force, Police, Immigration, and Intelligence are alert to the militants' activities in Mozambique and are keeping an eye on the country's eastern border.

A proactive early warning system needs to be in place.

This apart from taking advantage of the good bilateral relationship between Malawi and Mozambique at the defense and security level.

Malawi needs to recall how the Civic war in the late 70s and early 80s had to affect Malawi's transportation of imports and exports through Nacala port, to the point that for many years the Malawi army had to deploy to guard the Nacala railway line.

The militant activities in the Cabo Delgado area are therefore not just Mozambique's burden, it is Malawi's too.