Mozambican President Daniel Chapo began a visit to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the headquarters of the European Union (EU), on 14 March, with one of his main objectives being to request continued EU support in combating terrorism in Cabo Delgado province.
In Brussels, Chapo was due to meet the President of the European Council, António Costa, the Vice-President of the European Commission and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Javi López, among other officials, according to a statement from Chapo’s office. Chapo will also be received by King Philippe of Belgium.
“It is the right place for His Excellency [Daniel Chapo] to be at this moment, particularly because we need to request support for the continuation of the European Union mission to train our Defence and Security Forces in the fight against terrorism,” Foreign Minister Maria dos Santos Lucas told journalists accompanying the presidential delegation.
European Union support in Cabo Delgado began in 2021, with the training of around 1,600 Mozambican soldiers specialised in counter-terrorism operations, who became known as the Quick Reaction Force (QRF). The EU also donated non-lethal equipment intended for counter-terrorism operations, including vehicles.
The support was renewed two years later and included several short-term training programmes for officials and agents from various law enforcement agencies involved in counter-terrorism efforts. Overall, the support has been valued at around 89 million euros, financed through the European Peace Facility.
However, the European support ends in June this year. “After that, it will have to be renewed. We have every indication that support for Mozambique in this area will continue,” said Minister Lucas.
Rwanda threatens to withdraw its troops from Cabo Delgado
On the same day that Chapo arrived in Brussels, members of the Rwandan government posted on X (formerly Twitter) that their country would withdraw the troops deployed in Cabo Delgado if sustainable funding was not secured.
The European Union is the only entity that publicly acknowledges financing Rwanda’s troops in Cabo Delgado.
“It is not that ‘Rwanda could withdraw’, it is that ‘Rwanda WILL withdraw’ its troops from Mozambique, if sustainable funding is not secured for its counter-terrorism operations in Cabo Delgado”, wrote Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, in one of several posts on his X account about the matter.
“We didn’t pay hundreds of millions of dollars and our RDF soldiers didn’t pay the ultimate sacrifice to stabilize this region, allow internally displaced people to return home, children to go back to school, businesses to reopen, and mega investments in Liquefied Natural Gas to resume, just to see our valiant soldiers being constantly questioned, vilified, criticised, blamed or sanctioned by the very countries that greatly benefit from our intervention in Mozambique. Indeed, we are ready to leave Mozambique if our work and achievements are not appreciated”, the post continues.
So far, the European Union has approved 40 million euros to finance the deployment of around 5,000 Rwandan soldiers and police officers to Cabo Delgado.
According to the information obtained, this amount has not been transferred to the Rwandan government’s accounts. It is paid to suppliers of goods and services used by the RDF mission in Cabo Delgado, upon the presentation of invoices by Rwanda’s Ministry of Finance.
The primary role of Rwandan forces is to stabilise the districts of Palma and Mocímboa da Praia, which are important for the logistics of the liquefied natural gas industry, whose main market is Europe.
The financial news agency Bloomberg reported last week that European Union support for the deployment of Rwandan forces in Cabo Delgado ends next May and may not be renewed.
Last month, the US government approved sanctions against the Rwanda Defence Force and four of its commanders over their alleged involvement in the war in eastern Congo, where they are accused of supporting the M23 militia.
The US sanctions may prevent the European Union from continuing to finance the Rwanda Defence Force mission in Cabo Delgado.
So far, the Mozambican government has not commented on the matter, but it will certainly be at the centre of the president’s agenda in Brussels. His visit ends on 18 March.
Written by The Mozambique Times and republished with permission. The original article can be found here.
