Mozambique’s armed forces have received the final batch of equipment provided under the European Peace Facility (EPF), which has been supporting the Forcas Armadas de Defesa de Mozambique (FADM) in response to the crisis in Cabo Delgado to the tune of 85 million euros.
A European Union Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM) statement on 20 March noted that following the adoption of an initial urgent measure in July 2021 worth 4 million euros, the European Union subsequently increased its support through the EPF. In November 2021, an additional package of 40 million euros was approved to support five military units trained by the EU Training Mission Mozambique (before it transitioned to EUMAM). In April 2022, EU Member States increased funding again by 45 million euros to address the needs of all eleven units to be trained under the EUTM Mozambique.
The EPF has supported a total of eleven units trained by the EUTM Mozambique with non-lethal equipment, such as individual equipment (ballistic helmets, vests, camouflage nets), collective equipment (campaign tents, generators, water reserves), ground and amphibious mobility assets (vehicles, ambulances, boats), technical devices (drones), and a field hospital.
These units formed eleven Quick Reaction Forces to counter the insurgency in Cabo Delgado.
“An additional EPF action in support of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) worth 15 million euros has complemented the EPF Assistance Measure. Following the withdrawal of SAMIM from Mozambique, all equipment was transferred to the Mozambican Armed Forces in July 2024. The action is now completed,” the EU statement read.
EUMAM has been in place since September last year taking over duties from EUTM including training FADM quick reaction forces (QRFs) to counter the insurgency in Cabo Delgado, where a substantial presence of the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) is also deployed in efforts to curb ongoing violence and unrest ascribed to ASWJ (Ahlu-Sunnah wal Jama’a)/Islamic State.
