The Tanzanian Air Force has been transporting troops and equipment to Mozambique, presumably as a contribution to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) intervention force.

Photos from Sunday 1 August showed a Tanzania Air Force Command Shaanxi Y-8F turboprop transport unloading men and materiel at Pemba Airport.

According to news publication Noticias, the aircraft made several flights between Sunday and Tuesday, delivering weapons and troops.

Tanzania’s Air Force is believed to have a couple of four-engined Y-8 transports in service.

It is not clear if Tanzania is sending its own troops and equipment to help fight the insurgency in Cabo Delgado province, or assisting other nations deployed there. On 2 and 3 August, Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu Hassan visited Rwanda and signed several cooperation agreements. Rwanda last month sent 1 000 soldiers to help Mozambique under a bilateral agreement.

In April, after deadly attacks in Mozambique, an SADC technical team that included military and intelligence chiefs from South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe recommended the deployment of 3 000 troops to Mozambique. An SADC Mission in Mozambique was approved in June, with forces deployed from July.

SADC members Botswana and South Africa have deployed troops and equipment to Mozambique and will be joined by a small contingent from Angola and several hundred trainers from Zimbabwe.