The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, said today that peace is returning to northern Mozambique, after the military intervention of the countries of the southern region to combat violent extremism in the province of Cabo Delgado.

"What is pleasing is that the people who fled the various areas of Cabo Delgado are now returning to their homes, with increased confidence that SADC has helped them bring peace," stressed Cyril Ramaphosa, in a statement released by the Presidency of the Republic and quoted by Lusa.

The South African head of state, who concluded an official visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo) where he participated this week in the 42nd summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), revealed that the regional bloc "is also satisfied" with the progress announced in the fight against insurgency in the northern region of the neighboring country.

In this regard, Ramaphosa added that SADC reaffirmed its "total commitment to support the people of Mozambique."

The South African President also said that he was "pleased" with the progress made by SADC in establishing a logistics center in the Republic of Botswana "that will help countries in the region deal with emergency situations," and with "the progress made in the already operational counter-terrorism center in the Republic of Tanzania.

"We will be able to carry out the various assistance measures when there are situations where our Armed Forces need to intervene, so there must be a good logistical depot or where there are other forms of emergency," Ramaphosa stressed about the logistical center in Botswana.

At the SADC Heads of State and Government meeting in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, Namibian President Hage Geingob received from his South African counterpart the chairmanship of the Body on Cooperation in Politics, Defense and Security, which Ramaphosa led in a year of containment against the covid-19 pandemic.

At least nine personnel deployed in the SADC military force in the country (SAMIM) died in combat in Cabo Delgado province, according to the final communiqué of the regional summit meeting released yesterday by Pretoria.