HARARE, 2 April, 2021 (TON): As Southern African states rushed to craft a response to the deteriorating security situation in Mozambique, the Presidents of Zimbabwe and Botswana met in Harare on Wednesday.

The regional bloc is said to be preparing a military intervention in Mozambique's northern Cabo Delgado region, where militant violence has been raging since 2017.

Last week, armed fighters overrun the coastal town of Palma, killing dozens of civilians and sending thousands fleeing for safety.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, the President of Zimbabwe said, "President Masisi is the current chairperson of the troika, so he was briefing me about the security situation in the region with particular emphasis on what is happening in Cabo Delgado."

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi said, "We have formed views as a troika. One of them will result in taking this further so that we as SADC respond in a helpful manner to ensure that we assure the integrity and sovereignty of one of our own, never to be assaulted by dissident, rebellious and non-state-actor forces."

However, as per the UN, the humanitarian crisis in the region is likely to worsen, with more than 670,000 people forced to leave their homes.  The NGO Acled counted 2,600 dead before the attack on Palma, half of whom were civilians.