Rwandan soldiers policemen prepare to board a plane for a military mission in Mozambique, at Kanombe airport, Kigali, Rwanda, July 10, 2021. On Sunday, along with Mozambican forces they drove jihadists from the key port town of Mocimboa da Praia. Photo AFP

MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE - Mozambican forces backed by Rwandan troops on Sunday said they had driven out jihadists occupying the key port town of Mocimboa da Praia in the gas-rich north of the country.

Mozambique's defense ministry confirmed an earlier tweet by Rwanda's army that the joint force had wrested control of the town on Sunday morning.

They now control government buildings, the port, airport, hospital, and other key installations, Colonel Omar Saranga, a ministry spokesman, told a press conference in the Mozambican capital, Maputo.  

The port town, from where the first Islamist attacks were staged in October 2017, has since last year become the de facto headquarters of the Islamic State-linked extremists, locally referred to as al-Shabab.

Mocimboa da Praia "was the last stronghold of the insurgents" and its recapture marks "the end of the first phase of counter-insurgency operations," Colonel Ronald Rwivanga, a spokesman for the joint military force, said in a text message.

Mozambican forces have been struggling to regain control over the northern Cabo Delgado province, site of one of Africa's biggest liquefied natural gas project, a $20 billion site operated by French energy major Total.

Rwanda sent 1,000 troops last month to shore up the Mozambican military.  
Last week they claimed their first success since deploying, saying they had helped the Mozambican army regain control of Awasse, a small but also strategic settlement near Mocimboa da Praia.

At least 800,000 people have been uprooted from their homes by the violence ravaging the region, with more than 3,100 killed, half of them civilians, according to conflict tracking organization ACLED   

"We will continue with security operations to completely pacify those areas and allow Mozambican and Rwandan forces to conduct stabilization operations" to enable people to return home and businesses to open, Rwivanga said.

After initially resisting outside help, Rwandan troops deployed on July 9 following an April visit to Kigali by Mozambican leader Filipe Nyusi.

They were followed weeks later by forces from neighboring countries, which are deploying under the aegis of the 16-member regional bloc, the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Botswana, whose President Mokgweetsi Masisi, has been outspoken on the urgent need for regional stability, became the first SADC country to send in troops on July 26.

Regional powerhouse and immediate neighbor South Africa announced on July 28 it would deploy 1,495 soldiers.

A day later, Zimbabwe unveiled plans to dispatch 304 non-combat soldiers to train Mozambique's infantry battalions.

Angola then deployed 20 specialized military air force personnel while Namibia will contribute N$5.8 million (about $400,000) toward the anti-insurgency offensive.

Masisi and Nyusi will on Monday formally launch the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado province.

The European Union on July 12 formally established a military mission for Mozambique to help train its armed forces battling the jihadists.

Former colonial ruler Portugal is providing training for Mozambican troops, with Lisbon's military instructors expected to make up half of the new EU mission.

Mozambique's northernmost province of Cabo Delgado, which borders Tanzania, has been troubled by the jihadist insurgency since 2017.

Last year the militants had grown bolder, escalating attacks as part of a campaign to establish an Islamist caliphate.

In March this year, they attacked n the coastal town of Palma, killing dozens of people and triggering an exodus that included employees from the Total project, forcing the company to halt work. Agence France-Presse/Voice of America

Today we somberly remember the terror attacks that took place on August 7, 1998, in Kenya and Tanzania.  Nearly simultaneously, terrorists detonated bombs next to the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.  Their attacks killed 224 men, women, and children, and injured over 4,500 others.  In an awful moment, the lives of so many changed tragically and forever.       

These attacks brought into stark relief the true toll of terrorism, with trauma and tragedy visited upon so many.  In this moment of overwhelming pain, however, the world also witnessed courage, compassion, and selflessness.  So many, including some of the injured, rescued others and saved lives, answering evil with heroism.  The attackers sought but failed to divide us.

Today, we remember and honor all who died and keep the injured in our thoughts.  The United States stands with our African partners and others in the fight against terrorism, bound by our shared humanity and the promise that, together, we can and will build a better future. - ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE, U.S Department of State

Photo Courtesy Independent IE

CNN has dismissed three employees who violated company policy by coming to work unvaccinated against the Covid-19 virus.

The company's president Jeff Zucker told staff members of the firing in a memo sent on Thursday that reminded them vaccines were mandatory if they report to the office or out in the field where they come into contact with other employees.

He added: "Let me be clear - we have a zero tolerance policy on this."

The memo was obtained by The Associated Press after its contents were first tweeted by CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy.

CNN offered no details on the firings, or where the employees were based.

Most of CNN's offices are already open on a voluntary basis, and Mr Zucker said more than a third of news staff members have returned.

Proof of vaccination has been left to an honour system, he said, but that may change in coming weeks.

The CNN leader said that masks will be required in Atlanta, Washington and Los Angeles offices when people are not eating, drinking or in an enclosed private space.

Even in offices where mask-wearing is not mandated, people should do what feels comfortable to them "without any fear of retaliation or judgment from co-workers," he said. The CNN memo also said a planned company-wide return to the office on September 7 will be delayed until at least early to mid-October.

Other media companies have been making similar decisions because of the rise in Covid cases. By David Bauder, Independent.IE