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Mozambique: EU foreign policy chief starts two-day visit, to hand over equipment
12:10 CAT | 08 Sep 2022
Photo: Twitter / @JosepBorrellF
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, on Thursday started a two-day visit to Mozambique, where he is to meet with the president, Filipe Nyusi, and deliver equipment other than weapons to support the fight against armed rebels in Cabo Delgado province.
HRVP @JosepBorrellF just arrived in #Mozambique for a two-day visit focused on reinforcing #EU–#Moz partnership, security and @EUTMMozambique mission, and address the implications of the war in Ukraine on food security and global geopolitics. #EUDiplomacy @eu_eeas @EUinMoz pic.twitter.com/wO92Ypnx1L
— European Union in Mozambique (@EUinMoz) September 8, 2022
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is due to have meetings with Mozambique’s head of state and with the minister of foreign affairs, Veronica Macamo.
On Friday, Borrell is to visit the European Union Military Training Mission (EUTM Mozambique) at the Katembe training camp on the southern edge of Maputo, “where he will witness the handover ceremony of equipment financed by the European Peace Facility.”
The reinforcement of equipment for the troops being trained by the EU had been a request made by Nyusi, and includes non-fighting equipment such as uniforms and material to support military logistics on the ground.
On this occasion, Borrell will also participate in the ceremony for the handover of command of EUTM Mozambique, with Brigadier-General Lemos Pires handing over to another officer from Portugal, Commodore Martins de Brito.
The mission supports the training of rapid reaction units of the Mozambique Armed Defence Forces. It has 119 members from 12 countries.
Portugal has overall command of the mission and is the country with the largest contingent – currently 68 soldiers from all three branches of the armed forces and the National Republican Guard (GNR).
Portugal’s secretary of state for defence, Marco Capitão Ferreira, is also to take part in Friday’s handover.
As well as Cabo Delgado, Borrell’s agenda contains other issues such as the impact in Mozambique of the war in Ukraine, namely the impact on food security and the global geopolitical situation.
On Saturday, Borrell is to travel on to Kenya.
In addition to various bilateral meetings, I will visit EU training mission @EUTMMozambique.
A mission that has been set up in record-time to help Mozambican armed forces in Cabo Delgado in their fight against terrorism.#AUEU@EUinMoz (2/2)
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) September 8, 2022
Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique is rich in natural gas but has been terrorised since 2017 by armed violence, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.
The insurgency has prompted a military response backed for the past year by forces from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which have helped liberate districts near major foreign-owned gas projects but led to a new wave of attacks in other areas, closer to Pemba, the provincial capital, and in neighbouring Nampula province.
About 800,000 people have been internally displaced by to the conflict, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and about 4,000 have been killed, according to the conflict registration project ACLED.
Source: Lusa
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