The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy considered this Monday the advances against armed groups in Cabo Delgado province "a very important step" for the resumption of natural gas projects and the development of the region.

"I think it is an important step to ensure stability in the northern part of Cabo Delegado province and to bring back all the development actions," Max Tonela said.

The governor was speaking on the sidelines of the start of the first census of artisanal mining in Mozambique, which took place this Monday in the central province of Nampula.

The restoration of security in Cabo Delgado province, he continued, will create the peace and tranquility necessary for the resumption of natural gas project development activities interrupted due to attacks launched by armed groups.

The gains in fighting the armed groups are "also an important step to ensure the resumption of investment projects also in the gas sector, especially the Area 1 project, which will require sustained, long-term stability," he added.

The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy recalled that one of the conditions imposed by the French oil company Total - operator of Area 1 of the Rovuma basin - is the restoration of security in the implementation zone of the project.

Total suspended its Rovuma natural gas project - the largest private investment in Africa - in March due to armed attacks in Cabo Delgado.

The Ministry of Defense confirmed on Sunday the reconquest of the town of Mocímboa da Praia by the joint Mozambican and Rwandan forces, saying that the fighting continues for the "consolidation of the remaining critical areas".

"The joint forces of Mozambique and Rwanda have controlled the village of Mocímboa da Praia since 11:00 a.m. on August 08, 2021," Mozambique's Defense Ministry spokesman Omar Saranga said at a press conference.

Earlier, the Rwandan Ministry of Defense had already announced on the social platform Twitter the recovery of the port village of Mocímboa da Praia, in a joint operation with the Mozambican Defense and Security Forces.

Since the beginning of July, Rwanda has had a military contingent of 1,000 soldiers and police in the fight against armed groups in the north of the country, under a bilateral agreement between the governments of Kigali and Maputo.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Monday officially launched the Standby Force for Cabo Delgado, a military mission of the organization, which will combat "terrorism and violent extremism."

Armed groups have terrorized Cabo Delgado province since 2017, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.

Following the attacks, there are more than 3,100 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project, and more than 817,000 displaced people, according to the authorities.

Lusa Agency