Sadc leaders to discuss Mozambique insurgency

The leaders of several southern African countries will meet in Mozambique on Thursday to discuss military plans to tackle a growing insurgency in the north of the country.

The South African Development Community (Sadc) nations are concerned that jihadist violence could spread throughout the region if left unchecked.

In March, Islamist militants took over the town of Palma in northern Mozambique, shutting down a $20bn (£14bn) gas plant that was the biggest single foreign investment in Africa to date.

Aid agencies say they are negotiating with the government to be able to help the thousands thought to still be stranded in Palma. Those who have made it out talk of leaving behind many hungry and sick people.

Some 700,000 Mozambicans have been displaced by the violence in recent years.

Regional leaders have been urging President Felipe Nyusi to allow foreign boots on the ground to tackle the jihadists. Last weekend he told his party’s members he was now open to more support.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: AFP