The President of the Republic confirmed on Friday, 9, in Mueda, Cabo Delgado province the arrival of military forces from Rwanda to help in the fight against terrorists who attack populations and state institutions, including Defense and Security Forces since 2017.

Earlier, the Rwandan government had announced in a statement the deployment, starting Friday, of 1,000 members of the armed forces and police.

In a parade with members of the local defense and security forces, Filipe Nyusi said that the arrival of Rwandan troops "was coordinated with the member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)" of which Rwanda is not part.

"We have asked for support from our friends in Rwanda, and they (troops), have already started arriving today, we hope that the Rwandans will work well with our young people," said Nyusi, who reiterated that his government "has never refused international support for the fight against terrorism," Filipe Nyusi quoted by VOA.

"What happened was that we were still organizing ourselves to receive that support," he concluded.

This is the first time that the Mozambican statesman has publicly announced Rwanda's involvement in efforts to combat terrorists in Cabo Delgado.

Meanwhile, also on Friday, the Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) informed that it will start its operations in Mozambique as of the 15th, for a period of three months, which may be extended, depending on the evolution of the situation on the ground.

The information is contained in a communiqué sent to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who is expected to share it with the organization's Security Council.

According to the statement, the mission's objectives are, "to support the Republic of Mozambique in combating acts of terrorism and extremist violence, and to assist the country in restoring the rule of law in the affected areas of Cabo Delgado province."

The insurgent-driven war in the north of the country has killed more than 2,000 people and caused about 900,000 displaced persons since 2017 in Cabo Delgado.