Nampula, Mozambique, Nov. 27, 2025 (Lusa) - The provincial government of Nampula, in northern Mozambique, delivered two drones to the Marechal Samora Machel Military Academy on Thursday to strengthen territorial surveillance capabilities in the fight against rebels who have been carrying out armed attacks in the region.
"Contemporary challenges require information to arrive quickly, accurately and securely, and technology offers us that capability (...). Drones are means that raise our level of surveillance and allow for more effective interventions," said Nampula Governor Eduardo Abdula during the delivery of the equipment in that province.
The governor explained that, in a context where threats evolve rapidly, real-time data collection is crucial to ensure rigorous analysis and facilitate strategic decisions.
"The ability to assess scenarios with greater certainty is essential to protect the country," said the official, who promised 10 drones to the Defence and Security Forces.
According to Eduardo Abdula, the instruments will also reinforce the operational efficiency of the Armed Forces, increasing the speed of action and response capacity, and strengthen the technical training of future officers.
"With these drones, we are reinforcing the training component and ensuring that our military personnel keep up with technological advances and current demands," said Abdula.
The commander of the Military Academy, Francisco Matarruca, expressed his gratitude for the offer, which he described as "generosity and patriotism," and assured that their use will be guided by professionalism and a sense of mission.
"These resources will help to strengthen surveillance on the ground," said the commander.
The governor of Nampula said on Wednesday that the rebel groups terrorising Memba are abandoning the region due to pressure from the Defence and Security Forces.
"There are seriously wounded people being pulled out (...). They crossed a few days ago, (...) the day before yesterday and yesterday, to the Cabo Delgado side, to the Chiúre area, so they have abandoned our territory," said Abdula, adding that there may still be "one or two stragglers, but the (...) mission is to continue the hunt and continue the pursuit."
The delivery of the two drones, out of a total of 10 promised by the provincial government, comes at a time when there have been attacks by extremist groups in the district of Memba, in Nampula, which have already caused the displacement of a total of 71,983 people in a week, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimated on Tuesday.
According to the IOM, women, girls, the elderly and people with disabilities face even greater vulnerabilities, including exposure to gender-based violence, lack of privacy and limited access to facilities.
The gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado, also in northern Mozambique and neighbouring Nampula, has been the target of extremist attacks for eight years, with the first attack recorded on 5 October 2017 in the district of Mocímboa da Praia.
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) counts at least 6,257 deaths after eight years of attacks in Cabo Delgado, warning of the current instability.
AYF/ADB // ADB.
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