The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will take “appropriate measures” against any members of its intervention force in Mozambique found to be linked to the alleged burning of human bodies in the southeast African country, Namibian President Hage Geingob said on Thursday.Geingob, who is the chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, said the regional body is taking seriously the incident in which unidentified soldiers wearing uniforms similar to those of troops represented in the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) were recorded while tossing dead people into a pile of burning rubble. 

SAMIM said earlier this week that it has launched an inquiry into the incident, which is believed to have taken place in November 2022 in Mozambique’s strife-torn Cabo Delgado province.

“I further wish to categorically underscore that SADC does not condone acts reflected in the video and, once the investigations are completed, SADC will take appropriate measures, in line with international Law of Armed Conflict,” Geingob said in a statement.

The incident has raised fears of extrajudicial executions by armed forces battling an Islamic State-sponsored insurgency in the mineral-rich Mozambican region, with rights group Amnesty International on Thursday calling for an independent probe of the scandal.

SAMIM was deployed in July, 2021 in Cabo Delgado province as a regional response to support Mozambique to combat terrorism and acts of violent extremism. 

Geingob praised the work by SAMIM so far, saying the regional force has so far ensured “tremendous improvement in the humanitarian and security situation, resulting in the return of internally displaced persons to their areas of origin.”