Maputo, 23 Sep (AIM) – The United States government has pledged to disburse 1.5 million dollars to strengthen Mozambique’s management of weapons and ammunition, as part of a program aimed at strengthening security in the country.
The initiative, funded by the US Government in collaboration with The HALO Trust USA, is designed to prevent conventional arms intended for public protection from being used by criminals and terrorist groups. It focuses on enhancing the capacity of security personnel through specialized training in management, control, and security of arms and ammunition.
The program comes at a time when proper control of arsenals and weapons stockpiles is considered crucial to reducing the risks of illegal diversion of arms and ammunition. The US Department of State itself frames this type of cooperation within its strategy to prevent the illegal proliferation of small arms and light weapons and to strengthen stockpile security.
Capacity building for Mozambican professionals constitutes a central component of the initiative. The objective is to equip security forces with the knowledge and tools needed to improve arsenal management, strengthen control mechanisms, and reduce the possibility of arms and ammunition being diverted into criminal activities.
Cooperation between the two countries in this field is not new. According to the US Department of State, the United States resumed cooperation with Mozambique in conventional weapons destruction in 2022, supporting projects aimed at strengthening the capacity of security forces to manage arms and ammunition and prevent their illicit diversion.
In 2023, US assistance included the construction and installation of mobile armories, as well as stockpile management and security training for Mozambican security forces.
Effective arms and ammunition control seeks to minimize the likelihood of state weaponry falling into the hands of criminal networks or groups involved in acts of violence and terrorism.
For Mozambique, the initiative also represents a strengthening of international cooperation in the security sector and in the capacity building of national institutions.
The partnership between Mozambique, the United States, and The HALO Trust USA thus aims to contribute to a safer and more responsible weapons management system, reducing the risks associated with improper storage, weapons diversion, and the illegal circulation of ammunition.
This cooperation is part of a broader trajectory of US support for Mozambique in conventional weapons destruction.
Department of State data point out that, between 1993 and 2023, the United States allocated approximately 57.9 million dollars to various initiatives related to conventional weapons destruction, humanitarian mine action, and capacity building in the country.
(AIM)
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