EU mission to train Mozambican troops to fight terrorism

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) – The European Union launched a military mission Wednesday to train Mozambican troops to fight terrorism in the country's northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Inaugurated in the capital Maputo, the mission is meant to provide specialized training for two years in combating terrorism and protecting civilians, said its commander, Brigadier General Nuno Lemos Pires of the Portuguese army.

The mission will have 140 training officers divided between two training centers -- one for commandos in Chimoio in central Mozambique and the other for marines in the country's capital Maputo.

It will contribute to improving the security situation in the country, said Mozambican Defense Minister Jaime Neto, while Portugal’s National Defense Minister Joao Cravinho said the training would offer an example of effectiveness in the eyes of Mozambicans.

An armed insurgency with its origins in the wider socio-economic and political disparity has kept Mozambique smoldering since 2017.

Terrorist activities and insurgency in northern Mozambique have left more than 3,000 people dead and nearly 800,000 displaced, according to official data.

In July, Rwanda deployed 1,000 army and police personnel to Mozambique’s restive province of Cabo Delgado to help combat terrorism.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has also deployed a military force to Mozambique to help the government combat terrorism and acts of violent extremism.