International relations specialist and lecturer at Joaquim Chissano University, Calton Cadeado, believes that the withdrawal of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) could weaken the fight against terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Verónica Macamo, said last Saturday (23) that the military mission of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will leave Mozambique by July due to financial constraints.

Meanwhile, analyst Calton Cadeado believes that there will be one less threatening force for the terrorists in Cabo Delgado, who know the weaknesses of the Mozambican state and see this withdrawal of the SAMIM mission as "an opportunity" to show that they have an "open field" for their terrorist actions.

Cited by DWCalton Cadeado points out that, given the current situation, he still hoped that the mission would be renewed, even though he knew from the start that it wouldn't last forever. "Many people expected the mission to be renewed, just like in other years," he adds.

For the analyst, the departure of the SAMIM force could mean for the insurgents the withdrawal of any kind of force capable of fighting them.

"From the outset, the withdrawal of SAMIM from Cabo Delgado is an opportunity for them (terrorists) to carry out their actions and show that they have an open field, especially when it is known that the Mozambican Armed Defense Forces do not have the desired capacity to combat this group or groups, the size of which we do not yet know," said the international relations expert.

SAMIM was established in July 2021 and began operating on September 3 of the same year, in response to the deteriorating security situation in Cabo Delgado province. The mission is made up of military, police and civilian personnel from SADC member states.

The province of Cabo Delgado has been affected by a conflict since 2017 that has terrorized the population.