Head of Mission

No.	Name	Nationality	From	To	Note
1	Prof. Mpho Molomo	Botswana	15 July 2021	Incumbent

Force Commanders

No.	Name	Nationality	From	To	Note
1	Maj. Gen. Xolani Mankayi	South Africa	15 July 2021	Incumbent

Deputy Force Commanders

No.	Name	Nationality	From	To	Note
1	Brigadier Dumisani Ndzinge[7]	Botswana	15 July 2021	8 February 2022
2	Brigadier Simon Barwabatsile	Botswana	8 February 2022	Incumbent

Force structure

SADC Flag

The envisioned deployment was around an infantry brigade sized force with maritime and air elements attached.
Ground forces

• 1x Brigade Headquarters
• 3x Light infantry Battalions.
• 2x Special Forces Squadrons.
• 1x Engineer Squadron.
• 1x Signal Squadron.

Logistics

• 1x Level II field hospital.
• 1x Field recovery unit
• 1x Field workshop unit
• 1x Field mobile stores unit

Maritime

• 2x Patrol Boats
• 1x Submarine
• 1x Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Air

• 2x UAV's
• 6x Helicopters
• 4x Transport Aircraft

Contingents

The following contingents have been deployed so far:

Botswana soldiers board a Botswana Defence Force plane to Mozambique, July 2021

Operations

The SADC states also began with their offensive in August 2021, with SAMIM troops becoming involved in combat operations for the first time.^[17] On 24 August rebels reportedly ambushed SAMIM troops in Naquitengue, near Mbau,.^[18] On 28 August, SAMIM troops reportedly raided an insurgent position at Muera River, capturing equipment and documents.^[17] In September 2021 SAMIM troops also began to deploy in Niassa Province; groups of insurgents were suspected of having retreated or otherwise relocated to Niassa.^[19] Other bands of rebels were moving further south, away from the combat zone of the Messalo River.^[20] These groups relocated to Quissanga and Macomia District, where the rebels began a series of attacks on local villages, massacring dozens of civilians.^[20][21] SAMIM claimed to have captured the "Sheikh Ibrahim base" in northern Macomia District from rebels on 14 September.^[21] 24 September a report from the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) reported that a Tanzanian soldier and 17 insurgents were killed in an attack on an insurgent base near Chitama, in southeastern Nangade district.^[22] On 19 December Mozambique's defence minister claimed Mozambican and SAMIM soldiers killed ten insurgents after storming an ISIS camp in Cabo Delgado.^[23] On 20 December 2021 A patrol consisting of South African Special Forces and Mozambican ground troops were ambushed by ISIS east of Chai village. A number of Mozambican soldiers as well as a single South African special forces operator were killed in the attack. Several other soldiers were injured. This marked the first death of a South African special forces operator in combat since the South African Border War.^[23] On 5 February 2022 A patrol of Mozambican, Rwandan and SAMIM soldiers was ambushed near Nova Zambezia, Macomia district, resulting in a Mozambican soldier KIA and five insurgent attackers eliminated.^[24] On 9 February 2022 a Botswana Defence Force soldier died in Mueda, Cabo Delgado Province Mozambique due to unnamed cause. In February the Zambia Air Force announced that it had deployed as single C-27 cargo plane to Pemba, Mozambique.^[25] South Africa was reported to be deploying an entire battle group as part of its rotation, replacing largely its Special Forces Contingent^[26]