South of Cabo Delgado, Frelimo apparatchik consolidates her position

摘要

Lucinda Malema relies on the chief of staff of the governor of Nampula, Rodrigues Ussene, to strengthen her control of the area neighbouring Cabo Delgado, which has become key for Filipe Nyusi. The president has placed all his military logistics there. Despite being deputy head of the ruling Frelimo party's parliamentary group, Lucinda Malema keeps a very low profile at the national level. She concentrates her forces on her political stronghold, Nampula province, located directly south of Cabo Delgado, where gas operations have been put on hold by an Islamist-linked insurgency. President Filipe Nyusi leaves nothing to chance in this province that has become strategic in recent months: all Mozambican forces and their allies - private and bilateral - are based at its port of Nacala, which boasts an unused international airport (AI, 26/05/21).