The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) was seeking to use modern technology to help defeat Islamist extremists in the Cado Delgado province in north-east Mozambique, but could only do so to a limited extent because of the difficulties soldiers faced when trying to use such technologies when in the bush. So reported South African National Defence Force (SANDF) Chief of Joint Operations Lt-Gen Siphiwe Sangweni, in response to a question from Engineering News Online, at an SANDF media briefing on Wednesday.

SAMIM is an SADC military mission to assist Mozambique and its armed and security forces to combat the extremist insurgency. First deployed last July, it is composed of armed forces contingents from eight of SADC’s 14 member countries. The force contributing countries are Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. Quite separately and under a bilateral agreement with Mozambique, Rwandan troops are also deployed in the region.

One example of successful use of modern technology has been the SAMIM Intelligence Fusion Cell’s use of cell phone technology to track down and locate terrorist cells. Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya, also pointed out that captured laptops and cell phones had been successfully examined, from which “[a] lot of information” had been obtained.

Other examples of modern technology in use included a number of uncrewed aerial vehicles (popularly called drones), geographic information services, and counter-explosive ordnance device capabilities. Further, both the South African Air Force (SAAF) and the South African Navy (SAN) formed part of SAMIM, as did the South African Military Health Service (a separate branch of the armed forces in South Africa).   

Four aircraft from the SAAF were deployed in Mozambique, to support the whole of SAMIM, and not just the South African contingent. Sangweni did not specify which types were deployed, or the numbers of each type.

In response to questions from other journalists, Maphwanya refused to confirm or deny that SANDF was considering deploying South Africa’s own Rooivalk attack, or indeed other armed, helicopters to Cabo Delgado. “We need to be conscious about the security aspects of deployed assets,” he noted. He added that other SADC countries could provide options in this aircraft category.

The SAN was participating in SAMIM, along with the Tanzanian Navy, to counter nautical operations by the extremists, who have used small boats to execute attacks, including on offshore islands. Currently a SAN frigate was deployed on this mission; previously, two offshore patrol vessels had been used.