Mozambique: EU programme to discourage radicalisation

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Mozambique: EU programme to discourage radicalisation

6:53 CAT | 15 Oct 2020

File photo: Lusa

The European Union advocates a broad approach to the problems of armed violence in northern Mozambique and one of the programmes already underway aims to discourage radicalisation and recruitment, a spokesman for the European diplomatic corps told Lusa on Thursday.

Contacted by Lusa, the European External Action Service pointed out that the high representative, Josep Borrell, responded last week to a request for assistance from the Mozambican authorities in September, stating the EU’s intention to “encourage and support the development of an integrated approach to dealing with armed violence in Cabo Delgado”.

This approach, the spokesman said today, will take into account the humanitarian, development and security aspects, the so-called “three-link approach”, and “respect international human rights standards and the rule of law”.

Recalling that the EU and Mozambique have already opened a political dialogue focused on these three strands, which will provide “the opportunity to discuss concrete assistance options”, the spokesman underlined that humanitarian and development cooperation assistance for the Cabo Delgado region is already underway, with ongoing programmes which constitute “important pillars of the European Union response”.

“Among the actions that are underway, there is a programme aimed at discouraging recruitment and radicalisation, and aimed at fostering social cohesion”, he pointed out, adding that “EU support also includes projects for youth and civil society, capacity building and job creation”.

The same source also said that “a vocational education and training project is being prepared with European gas companies to ensure that the local population benefits from the development of the sector”.

On 9 October, the EU Ambassador in Maputo, Antonio Sánchez-Benedito Gaspar, handed the Mozambican Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Verónica Macamo, a letter from the head of European diplomacy to Mozambique’s request for assistance, in which Josep Borrell confirmed that the European bloc would help the country to tackle the crisis in the Cabo Delgado region.

Antonio Sánchez-Benedito Gaspar explained on the occasion that the idea was to strengthen Mozambique’s response capacities, but made it clear that “the arrival of European soldiers in the country is not on the agenda”.

Cabo Delgado province, in the north of Mozambique, has been the scene of armed attacks by forces classified as terrorists for three years .

The violence has caused a humanitarian crisis with more than 1,000 deaths and some 250,000 internally displaced persons.

Source: Lusa