The Mayor of Palma, Joao Agustinho Buchili has thanked the joint Rwanda and Mozambique Security Forces for restoring peace in the region, a move which the local leader said has enabled schools to reopen.
This decision to reopen schools comes after years of their closure due to the insurgency caused by Islamic State affiliated insurgents in Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique.
Buchili, who spoke at the reopening held on January, 31, 2022, thanked the forces for successfully dislodging and defeating the insurgents and bringing back security and life to the people of Cabo Delgado.
In July last year, the Government of Rwanda, at the request of Mozambique, deployed 1,000-person contingent of Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and Rwanda National Police (RNP) to restore peace in the Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique, which had spent two years under terrorism and insecurity attacks.
The Mayor, who was speaking on behalf of the government of Mozambique, further requested parents to send their children to school and assured parents of their children’s safety considering the level of security manned by Rwanda and Mozambique forces.
The event was attended by Rwanda Security Forces and Host Nation forces, Director of education in Palma district, Jules Pedro Njombe, the School head master Albert Enric, and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) officials among others.
UNICEF committed to distributing books, pens and pencils.
Besides COVID-19 pandemic, Mozambique faces a number of challenges including absence of teaching staff, lack of appropriate infrastructure and furniture among other school materials.
