S.Africa approves use of 1,495 military personnel to help Mozambique fight insurgents

Displaced women sit on mats after fleeing an attack claimed by Islamic State-linked insurgents on the town of Palma, April 2, 2021. [Reuters]

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the use of 1,495 members of the military to help neighbour Mozambique fight an Islamic State-linked insurgency, parliament said on Wednesday.

The use of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comes after southern African regional bloc SADC last month approved the deployment of troops to Mozambique to combat a conflict which began in 2017 and has killed thousands.