Botswana Sends Nearly 300 Troops to Mozambique

GABORONE - Botswana sent 296 troops to Mozambique Monday to join soldiers from other Southern African Development Community, or SADC, countries. The SADC troops are being deployed for the first time to quell a deadly Islamist insurgency in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique’s northernmost province.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi saw off the troops at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in the capital Monday morning. Masisi, who is the chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense and Security, said the deployment is part of the region’s effort to promote stability in member nation Mozambique. “Today, we witness yet another milestone in our set out objectives of propelling the peace agenda through our region in following through on the SADC mandate aimed at facilitating the peaceful conditions in the northern part of the Republic of Mozambique in Cabo Delgado, in particular,” he said.