Providing military training to Mozambican soldiers destined for Quick Response Force (QRF) deployment is the primary task of the European Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM) with its protection and security the responsibility of a specialist Force Protection Team (FPT).
The team comprises 12 Romanian Special Forces operators with a three-pronged mandate. One is guaranteeing the safety of the 80 plus EUMAM personnel, followed by ensuring permanent individual and collective mission self-defence, and situation dependent minimisation of personnel “vulnerability”.
To achieve these objectives, the FPT regularly runs defence planning exercises to ensure all EUMAM personnel are up to the required standards. Regular FPT-only drills and exercises ensure own tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) are maintained, the EU said.
Mozambique is not new ground for the Romanian Special Force operators. They previously worked with EUMAM forerunner the EU training mission in the east African country, transferring to EUMAM when it was formed in September.
A EUMAM statement has it the Romanian FPT is ready for specific missions in high-risk environment. Additionally, it supervises, monitors, inspects and co-ordinates mission headquarters security in collaboration with local security forces to guarantee security of the training, living and working areas.
Eighty civilian and military personnel are currently on EUMAM strength. They are from Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Spain and non-EU member, Serbia. The EUMAM objective is to ensure FADM (Forças Armadas de Defesa de Moçambique) become self-sufficient, contributing to a safer and more secure environment in Cabo Delgado. This is part of the EU response to a Mozambique government request to address the crisis in Cabo Delgado, as well as through humanitarian aid, peacebuilding, security and development.
EU support to Mozambique was recently boosted by a 20 million euro top-up to an existing European Peace Facility (EPF) assistance measure for Rwandan troops in the country.
The funds will, according to a statement, enable “acquisition of personal protective equipment and cover costs related to the strategic airlift needed to sustain the Rwandan deployment” in the northern province of President Felipe Nyusi’s country.
Commenting on the boost, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, said: “The presence of Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) troops has been instrumental to make progress and remains key, especially given the withdrawal of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM). This top-up measure is a testimony of the EU support for ‘African solutions for African problems’ and, as part of the global fight against terrorism, it will also serve EU interests in the region”.
The latest support measure, in EU terminology, complements a parallel one of 89 million euros. That funding was specifically for FADM troops trained by what was the EU training mission in Mozambique before its transformation into a military assistance mission three months ago.
