Mozambique and Tanzania pledge joint defense against cross-border threats

Mozambique and Tanzania have strengthened their bilateral defense and security cooperation following the seventh session of the Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security (JPCDS) in Dar es Salaam.

During the meeting, which included both expert-level and ministerial sessions, defense ministers Cristóvão Chume of Mozambique and Dr. Rhimo Nyansaho of Tanzania signed agreements to coordinate responses to cross-border threats. Key areas of focus include terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking, illegal mining, drug trafficking, and small arms smuggling.

The cooperation is particularly significant for the shared border region, including Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, which has faced an Islamist insurgency since 2017. Officials emphasized the need for information sharing, rapid response mechanisms, and joint strategies to mitigate risks that transcend national boundaries.