EU considers training mission to steady Mozambique – Watch

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EU considers training mission to steady Mozambique – Watch

11:59 CAT | 06 May 2021

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell makes a statement as he arrives for a meeting of EU defense ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, May 6, 2021. . [Photo: John Thys, Pool via AP]

The European Union will consider sending a civilian training mission to Mozambique to help the government withstand a growing insurgency, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday.

Mozambique’s government has been facing an Islamist insurgency since 2017 and rebels have stepped up attacks in the past year, putting at risk natural gas projects that are aimed at transforming the country’s economy..

Mozambique wrote to the EU in September to ask for help in training its armed forces to battle the insurgency.

” The Mozambican government has been asking for help. We will try to send an [EU] training mission, like the one that we have in the Sahel,” Borrell said as he arrived for a meeting of EU defence ministers, who will discuss Mozambique.

Borrell said any mission would be similar to the EU’s involvement in the Sahel, where its experts provide training and advice to national security forces. The EU also trains Mali’s armed forces and fights organised crime in Niger.

It was not clear if the EU would consider a military component to any possible Mozambique mission.

HR/VP @JosepBorrellF upon arrival at today’s Foreign Affairs Council Defence.

On the agenda:

📌 Sahel
📌 Mozambique
📌 The Strategic Compass

📄 Full text of his remarks: https://t.co/R2wZaT1NM4 #FAC #EUDefence pic.twitter.com/FFbIpXmYV7

— European External Action Service – EEAS 🇪🇺 (@eu_eeas) May 6, 2021

Since 2007, the EU has had battlegroups of 1,500 personnel on stand-by that can be deployed for up to 120 days, but they have never been used.

The EU is also studying the creation of a rapid response force of some 5,000 soldiers to intervene in international crisis, although the plans are only at a conceptual stage and would not be ready to support Mozambique.

Extracts from the @EUDefenceAgency Steering Board roundtable at the #FAC (#Defence), taking place on 6 May 2021, in #Brussels.https://t.co/CLcM6EBtIJ

— EU Council TV News (@EUCouncilTVNews) May 6, 2021

The HRVP @JosepBorrellF met Minister Pandor of @DIRCO_ZA in the margins of #G7UK to discuss priorities in EU-SA regional and bilateral cooperation in the context of #EU – #SouthAfrica strategic partnership @EUinSA #AUEU https://t.co/QB8EvJ0Ntd pic.twitter.com/Dx7RECfBUi

— European External Action Service – EEAS 🇪🇺 (@eu_eeas) May 5, 2021