CPLP: Portugal’s foreign minister expects ‘firmest solidarity’ with Mozambique

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CPLP: Portugal’s foreign minister expects ‘firmest solidarity’ with Mozambique

3:31 CAT | 15 Jul 2021

Photo: Lusa

Portugal’s foreign minister said on Thursday he expected the “firmest and most absolute solidarity” from all member states of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) with Mozambique over the situation in Cabo Delgado.

“I expect the firmest and most absolute solidarity of all the CPLP countries with Mozambique in the effort that the country is having to ensure the life and safety of its population living in Cabo Delgado,” said Augusto Santos Silva, in an interview with Portuguese news agency Lusa in Lisbon, on the eve of the 13th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the CPLP, to be held in Luanda on Friday and Saturday.

Asked about a strengthening of multilateral cooperation under the CPLP, the head of Portuguese diplomacy was more cautious.

“From the CPLP, I think there is support of a political nature, which is, in my opinion, guaranteed. Then we will see what Mozambique will say at the summit”.

However, Santos Silva noted that there is already bilateral support to Mozambique on the ground, giving as an example what is being done by Portugal in the area of training Mozambican military personnel.

He also noted that there are missions from other countries underway or being prepared, as well as from organisations such as the European Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to which Mozambique belongs.

On Monday, EU foreign ministers approved the launch of a military training mission in Mozambique aimed at “training and supporting the Mozambican Armed Forces” in “restoring security” in the territory and which will be led on the ground by Portuguese Army Brigadier General Nuno Lemos Pires.

“The aim of this mission is to train and support the Mozambican armed forces in protecting the civilian population and in restoring security in Cabo Delgado province,” reads a statement published by the Council of the European Union (EU).

Armed groups have terrorised Cabo Delgado since 2017, with some attacks claimed by the ‘jihadist’ group Islamic State, in a wave of violence that has led to more than 2,800 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project, and 732,000 displaced people, according to the UN.

At the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the CPLP, Angola will take on the rotating presidency of the organisation, succeeding the Cape Verdean presidency.

The motto of Angola’s presidency will be “Building and Strengthening a Common and Sustainable Future.

Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe and East Timor are the nine member states of the CPLP.

Source: Lusa