Mozambique party queries legality of foreign troops

Mozambique’s largest opposition party, Renamo, has demanded that parliament hold an urgent session to discuss the presence of foreign forces fighting armed groups in the Cabo Delgado province.

“Renamo's position is that… the body that represents the people should, in principle, debate all the implications of the entry of foreign forces into Mozambique,” ​​said the party’s chief whip, Venancio Mondlane.

The party argues that the introduction of foreign troops into the country did not follow the constitution and thus it should be "normalised and legalised as soon as possible".

Speaker Esperança Bias said there was no illegality in the decision to allow foreign troops to combat terrorism.

She said a session to discuss the situation in Cabo Delgado had been scheduled for October – where the executive would explain itself to the "representatives of the people".

Troops from Rwanda and others from the southern African regional bloc (Sadc) are already in the country providing support to Mozambican forces fighting insurgents in the northern region.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

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