US, Tanzania begin talks on dealing with Mozambique threat

The United States this week began talks with Tanzania on potential support interventions to quash insurgency threats from neighbouring Mozambique just as Chinese troops arrived in Dar es Salaam for joint military drills for the same purpose.

"We think there are opportunities to strengthen our security partnership to help deal with the terrorist challenges on Tanzania's southern border," said US State Department's acting under-secretary for political affairs John Bass in Dar on Wednesday while winding up an African trip that included Chad.

Mr Bass's statement coincided with the arrival of three Chinese warships at the port of Dar es Salaam, also on Wednesday, carrying troops to conduct joint counter-terrorism exercises with both Tanzania and Mozambique on land and at sea.

Tanzania has been at pains to prevent the protracted conflict between Islamic State-backed rebel elements and Mozambique army forces in the northern Cabo Delgado province from spilling across the Ruvuma River border separating the two countries.  

The insurgency has claimed more than 4,000 lives and displaced 946,000 people since 2017, and Mozambique deployed Southern African Development Community forces and Rwandan troops to help rein in the militants and stop them from wreaking further havoc.

Read: SADC extends troop deployment in Mozambique

Speaking in Beijing on Thursday, China's Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang announced that the joint military exercises would be carried out from late July to mid-August, under the theme 'Peace Unity-2024'. 

According to Mr Zhang, it will focus on enhancing troop capabilities and coordination in counter-terrorism operations with the intention of preserving regional peace and stability.

Tanzania and China have conducted three such drills in the past decade but, according to Navy Commander Ameir Ramadhan Hassan, this will be the first one incorporating other key units of the Tanzania People's Defence Forces -- air, ground and Special Forces.

The Navy commander said the latest exercise would be part of the events marking 60 years of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

The US undersecretary used the Tanzania tour to further bilateral cooperation ties in areas covering security, healthcare, green economy and minerals development, trade and investment. 

Among top government officials that he met with was the Minister of Defence and National Service, Stergomena Tax. 

He did not divulge the details of their discussion in his online media briefing.

The US official cited new healthcare collaborations in HIV/Aids and malaria prevention; partnerships in green economy transition and critical minerals development; and interventions to strengthen democratic governance as other matters highlighted in his talks with officials.

"We also discussed ways to develop a more structured dialogue to identify and deal with potential impediments – whether real or perceived – to additional trade and foreign direct investments between the US and Tanzania," Mr Bass said.  

"Some of those things may have to do with the regulatory environment and macroeconomic fundamentals in Tanzania. 

"We’re committed in the coming months to entering into more technical discussions on these matters," he added.

The main agenda of Mr Bass's first tour of Chad earlier in the week was to offer US support for that country's efforts to manage a growing influx of refugees fleeing the humanitarian crisis in next-door Sudan.

"The situation is quite challenging. The Chadian government is hosting an estimated 625,000 refugees mainly from the Darfur region," he said.