Mozambique launches new force to fight Islamist unrest
A man carries a mattress as he arrives at Paquitequete beach in Pemba from northern Mozambique on May 22, 2021 after fleeing from violence wreaked by Islamist insurgents. At least 3,340 people have been killed and more than 800,000 displaced there since the unrest began in 2017. FILE PHOTO | COURTESY
Mozambique on Thursday launched a special force of elite soldiers and police to combat an Islamist uprising that has threatened the country's lucrative natural gas projects.
The announcement came as President Filipe Nyusi appointed new ministers of defence and interior, signalling a further toughening of the government's crackdown in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
