In news- As part of Mission SAGAR, Indian Naval Ship Kesari entered the Port of Maputo, Mozambique recently.
About Mission SAGAR-
- SAGAR refers to Security And Growth for All in the Region.
- It is conducted in close coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, and other agencies of the Government of India.
- It highlights the importance accorded by India to relations with her neighbouring countries, ASEAN countries and further strengthens the existing bond.
- Under Mission Sagar-I, Indian Navy undertook this mission in May-June 2020, wherein India reached out to Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros, and provided food aid and medicines.
- Under Mission Sagar-II, the Indian Navy had deployed INS Airavat to Port Sudan. In this regard, INS Airavat carried a consignment of 100 tonnes of food aid for the people of Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea.
- Under Mission Sagar III, the Indian Navy had sent flood support to Vietnam which was affected by floods.
- Since May 2020, the Indian Navy has deployed ships to 15 Friendly Foreign Countries under SAGAR missions.
- These deployments spanned over 215 days at sea and delivered a cumulative assistance of more than 3,000 MT of food aid, over 300 MT LMO, 900 Oxygen Concentrators and 20 ISO containers.
- INS Kesari, a Landing Ship Tank (Large) had undertaken a similar mission in May – June 2020 to provide humanitarian and medical assistance to Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros, including deployment of Medical Assistance Teams of the Indian Navy in multiple locations.
About Republic of Mozambique-
- It is a country located in Southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini (Swaziland) and South Africa to the southwest.
- The capital and largest city of Mozambique is Maputo and Portuguese is its official language.
- Common native languages include Tsonga, Makhuwa, Sena, and Swahili.
- The country’s population of around 29 million is composed of overwhelmingly Bantu people.
- The country is separated from the Comoros, Mayotte and Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel to the east.
- The country is divided into two topographical regions by the Zambezi River.
- The country is drained by five principal rivers and several smaller ones with the largest and most important the Zambezi.
- Rugged highlands to the west include the Niassa highlands, Namuli or Shire highlands, Angonia highlands, Tete highlands and the Makonde plateau, covered with miombo woodlands.
- The country has four notable lakes: Lake Niassa (or Malawi), Lake Chiuta, Lake Cahora Bassa and Lake Shirwa, all in the north.
- Mozambique has a tropical climate with two seasons, a wet season from October to March and a dry season from April to September.
- The voyage of Vasco da Gama in 1498 marked the arrival of the Portuguese, who began a gradual process of colonization and settlement in 1505.
- It gained independence from Portugal in 1975, and is still suffering from the effects of a 16-year civil war that ended in 1992.
Source: PIB
