The leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) today approved the extension of the military mission supporting Mozambique in fighting rebel groups in Cabo Delgado.

According to a statement issued from Lilongwe, Malawi, at the end of the extraordinary summit, "the summit approved the framework to support the Republic of Mozambique in the fight against terrorism that outlines, among other things, actions to consolidate peace, security, and socioeconomic recovery of the province of Cabo Delgado.

The note issued, however, does not give specific details about how long the foreign forces will remain in Mozambique.

In total, the extension was approved by five heads of state, four vice presidents, and five members of government from member countries in the region at a summit chaired by Malawi's head of state, Lazarus Chakwera, currently acting president of SADC.

"The summit noted progress made since the implementation of the SADC mission in Mozambique and extended its mandate, which has budgetary implications," the document stresses, without, however, advancing the costs of operations.

The SADC heads of state took the opportunity to extend condolences to the families of soldiers from member countries killed during military operations in Cabo Delgado, highlighting the organization's commitment to regional stability.

Still, the document adds, the regional leaders encouraged Mozambique to proceed with the plan to hold an international conference to support the reconstruction of the areas affected by terrorism in Cabo Delgado.

"The summit acknowledged the expression of gratitude to SADC from the Government of the Republic of Mozambique for the continued regional support in the face of acts of terrorism and violent extremism in some districts of Cabo Delgado province, despite limited resources and the current challenges imposed by the pandemic," the note quoted by Lusa adds.

Meanwhile, today's event was preceded on Tuesday by the extraordinary summit of the SADC 'troika' for Cooperation in the Areas of Politics and Defense, chaired by South African head of state Cyril Ramaphosa, who is chairman of the body, who also advocated extending the mandate of foreign forces in Cabo Delgado.