Families return after town taken back from Islamic extremists

A trickle of Mozambican families started to return to ir homes and vills after a joint force of Mozambican and Rwandan troops regained control of a strategic port from Islamic extremists.

After retaking Mocimboa da Praia earlier this week, leers of joint force of Mozambican military and 1,000 Rwandan army troops said y would be chasing insurgents and seeking to establish peace and stability in rrn Cabo Delgo province.

retaking of Mocimboa da Praia is a table success for Rwandan force that deployed to Mozambique last month.

Rwanda's troops have rapidly helped Mozambique's armed forces achieve victories against insurgents, who have created a humanitarian emergency in rrn Cabo Delgo province and its surrounding areas.

Before Rwandan forces arrived, Mozambique's military and police h t succeeded in stemming insurgents' offensives.

More than 3,000 Mozambicans have been killed and 800,000 people displaced by four-year insurgency.

Nearly 1 million people need urgent food aid as a result of conflict, according to UN World Food Program.

Earlier this year insurgents, loosely allied to Islamic State group, forced French energy firm Total to pull out of its $20 billion liquified natural gas project near Palma, furr rth on Indian Ocean coastline.

Mozambican media report that financing for Rwandan troops' mission in Mozambique is coming from France.

joint Mozambican and Rwandan force is visibly in control of Mocimboa da Praia, patrolling public and private buildings, port, airport, hospital, markets and restaurants.

Mocimboa da Praia port is key to transporting supplies to or parts of Cabo Delgo province, including liquified natural gas project.