Ministra dos negócios estrangeiros e cooperação, Verónica Macamo e o Embaixador da União Europeia em Moçambique, Antinino Maggiore, assinando um acordo entre a Republica de Moçambique e a UE sobre o estatuto da missão de formação militar da UE em Moçambique. Foto de Santos Vilanculos
Maputo, 22 Aug (AIM) – The Mozambican government and the European Union (EU) signed on Wednesday in Maputo an agreement aimed at extending the mandate of the European Union Training Mission (EUTM), which is helping the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM) to fight Islamist terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
The EUTM was set up in July 2021 with the aim of training and supporting the FADM in protecting the civilian population, and restoring safety and security in Cabo Delgado, “where the security and humanitarian situation had been continuously deteriorating since 2017.”
The Mission was scheduled to close on September 9. However, the agreement now signed allows it to continue until 30 June 2026. For this period, a budget of over 14 million Euros (15.6 million dollars) has been allocated to the EUTM.
Mozambican Foreign Minister Verónica Macamo, who signed the agreement in representation of the government, praised the EU for its contribution to the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado.
“The agreement is very important. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your dedication to training our young people, but also for your support in the fight against terrorism”, she said.
As a result of the extension of mandate, the mission will be renamed EU Military Assistance Mission Mozambique (EUMAM Mozambique), as of 1 September 2024.
For his part, the EU representative in Mozambique, Antonino Maggiore, said that the signing of the agreement means that the partnership between the EU and Mozambique is robust against Islamist terrorism.
“It’s a very close partnership, 360 degrees of support to the country for development in the context of the major security challenge in northern Cabo Delgado. The extension of the Mission for another two years expresses the will to strengthen the partnership between both parties”, Maggiore said.
By May, The EUTM had already trained over 1,650 soldiers for the Mozambican Special Forces, both marines and commandos. It also had trained more than a hundred trainers.
The Public Relations Officer for the EUTM, Ricardo Carvalho, interviewed by AIM, said that the FADM may receive from the European Union a further consignment of non-lethal equipment, which includes personal protective material, such as helmets and bulletproof vests, knee pads, night binoculars, boots, GPS, and tents.
(AIM)
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