The Mozambican government has formally asked Slovakia and Denmark to support an extension of the European Union Military Assistance Mission in Mozambique (EUMAM-MOZ), which provides assistance to the country’s Defence and Security Forces to strengthen their capacity to counter terrorism in Cabo Delgado.
According to Lusa, the request was put forward by Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister Maria dos Santos Lucas during a credentials ceremony held in Maputo for the new diplomatic representatives of Cuba, South Africa, Thailand, Nigeria, Ghana, Namibia, Denmark, and Slovakia. “To the Slovak Republic, which is a member of the European Union, we reiterate our request for support for the extension of European Union assistance to our Defence and Security Forces through EUMAM, whose extension will be considered in September,” the minister said.
According to Maria dos Santos Lucas, Slovakia — which maintains cooperation with Mozambique in the economic and digital sectors — expressed openness to continuing its support for the country. The Mozambican government also presented Denmark with a request to support the continuation of EUMAM-MOZ, whose potential renewal is to be assessed by European Union institutions in September.
Beyond the defence sector, Mozambique intends to deepen cooperation with Denmark in other areas, including agriculture. The minister further noted that the remaining countries whose representatives presented credentials expressed interest in strengthening cooperation with Mozambique in strategic sectors such as gas and mineral resources, agriculture, trade, and fisheries, as well as in political and diplomatic areas.
The intention to extend the European mission’s presence in Mozambique had already been advocated in May by Belgian Member of the European Parliament Hilde Vautmans, who stated during a visit to the country that she would argue for a two-year extension of EUMAM. At the time, four MEPs travelled to Mozambique to assess the impact of European support, including through visits to Cabo Delgado, the province affected by armed group attacks since October 2017.
Hilde Vautmans, who also chairs the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, indicated that under the European Peace Facility, a new financial package for the acquisition of equipment could be considered, subject to a final decision by EU member states.
Under the same facility, the previous mission received €89 million for the procurement of non-lethal equipment and logistical support to equip 11 Rapid Reaction Companies of the Mozambican Armed Defence Forces (FADM), trained under the former EU Military Training Mission in Mozambique.
In May, the Council of the European Union extended the EUMAM-MOZ mandate by six months, until 31 December 2026. EUMAM-MOZ is a non-executive mission that supports the FADM in developing and strengthening their capabilities, with the objective of enabling units previously trained by the European Union to independently execute and sustain their respective operational cycle.
Cabo Delgado has faced an armed insurgency linked to extremist groups associated with the self-proclaimed Islamic State for nearly nine years. The conflict has claimed approximately 6,500 lives and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes, according to international organisations.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=530363
