Troops from Southern Africa’s regional bloc who were deployed to tackle an Islamist insurgency in Mozambique are to leave the country due to financial constraints.

The Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has been considering its budget limitations, Mozambique’s foreign minister, Verónica Macamo said.

Verónica Macamo added that the bloc believes Mozambique is relatively stable compared to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which has been wrecked by armed groups for decades.

Sadc’s military forces have been attempting to quell violence in DR Congo since December last year.

Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi said Sadc plans to withdraw its forces “by July”. However, Mr Nyusi said, this did not mean the nation’s fight against jihadist groups would stop.

“Countries have also offered to work with us bilaterally if justified,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

“As Mozambicans, we need to be ready for this reality. Let’s not get distracted The greater responsibility is with us.”

An armed insurgency has beset northern Mozambique for six years, with the Islamic State group saying it was behind some of the violence.

The insurgency, which has involved several attacks on the public and armed forces, prompted a military response in July 2021.

Support came first from Rwanda, which sent more than 2,000 military personnel to Mozambique, and then from the Sadc.

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