Rwanda has announced that it will maintain its troops in Cabo Delgado, a northern province of Mozambique, where they are assisting in the fight against terrorism, after what it described as insufficient support from the European Union (EU) regarding its funding requests.
In a statement posted on social media platform X and cited by Lusa, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, said the country had decided to negotiate directly with the Government of Mozambique, which has guaranteed continued financial support for Rwandan security forces operating in the region.
“The collaboration between the two governments has been successful and will continue, as Rwanda’s security forces’ work in Cabo Delgado is recognized by Mozambique,” the minister said, adding that previous EU support through the European Peace Facility represented only a small fraction of Rwanda’s operational costs in Mozambique.
Nduhungirehe also criticized the European Union, stating that two funding requests had been received with “reluctance” and politicized by some member states.
He further emphasized that Rwanda’s intervention, requested by Mozambique in 2021, has contributed to restoring stability in Cabo Delgado, allowing displaced families to return home, schools to reopen, and economic activities to resume, particularly in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector.
The minister also highlighted that foreign investments worth around 50 billion US dollars had resumed safely in the region following security improvements.
This development comes as EU financial support for the mission—estimated at 40 million euros over 36 months—approaches its end this May. Meanwhile, the United States has imposed sanctions on Rwanda’s Defense Forces due to the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The European Commission for Foreign Affairs stated it remains in ongoing dialogue with Mozambique regarding future security assistance in Cabo Delgado, noting that decisions on Rwandan troop deployment should be made between the two African countries.
The EU has also provided additional support of 89 million euros to Mozambique’s armed forces through training missions, alongside earlier funding packages.
Cabo Delgado, a resource-rich province particularly in natural gas, has faced an armed insurgency since 2017, resulting in thousands of deaths and more than one million internally displaced people.
In 2025, attacks also spread to neighboring Niassa province, including incidents in the Niassa Reserve and Mariri Environmental Center, leading to deaths, destruction of infrastructure, and the displacement of thousands, many of them children.
