Mozambique: Cabo Delgado ‘an example’ of EU-Africa security cooperation – Charles Michel

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Mozambique: Cabo Delgado ‘an example’ of EU-Africa security cooperation – Charles Michel

5:22 CAT | 18 Feb 2022

Photo: Lusa

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, on Friday presented the situation in Cabo Delgado as an “example” for EU-Africa security cooperation.

“The starting point is political dialogue, mutual listening, joint analysis of a situation and understanding how we can be effective […], we can accelerate the process and make available a certain amount of means, according to the needs on the ground, for stability and security,” he said.

Mr Michel said that the discussions between delegations during the two days of the EU/AU summit had allowed the two blocs to listen to each other.

Watch Charles Michel’s full speech here.

LIVE: follow the press conference after the #EUAUsummit #EUAU #AUEU https://t.co/xYET2yKLFO

— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) February 18, 2022

Mozambique had asked the EU to finance joint operations between Mozambican forces and those of Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community which are on the ground fighting terrorism.

This EU-AU summit, originally planned for 2020, could finally take place due to the evolution of the pandemic situation, which made it possible for some seven dozen heads of state and government from the two continents to be present in Brussels.

Almost five years after the previous meeting of EU and AU leaders, held in Abidjan in 2017, Brussels hosted the VI summit, which was attended by around 70 delegations at the highest level from the member states of the two organisations, including Portugal and the Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP).

The Lusophone African countries were all represented at the highest level at the summit, including the heads of state of Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe, the vice president of Angola and the prime minister of Cabo Verde.

EU and AU leaders agreed on a joint vision for a renewed partnership at the #EUAUsummit.

The aim of the partnership is solidarity, security, peace and sustainable and sustained economic development and prosperity for their citizens today and in the future.

— EU Council (@EUCouncil) February 18, 2022