Africa-Press – Mozambique. U.S. Army General Stephen J. Townsend, commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), is visiting Maputo, Mozambique November 16-18, 2021, during an official trip to regional partner countries in southern Africa. This visit reinforces the U.S. government’s commitment to supporting a peaceful, stable Mozambique and region.
In Maputo, General Townsend and U.S. Ambassador to Mozambique Dennis W. Hearne met with Minister of Defense Cristóvão Chume and Chief of General Staff Admiral Joaquim Mangrasse. The officials discussed the importance of the U.S.-Mozambique security partnership and progress in stabilizing the situation in northern Mozambique.
“The United States and Mozambique are building a strong security partnership,” said Ambassador Hearne. “We share a mutual goal of establishing and maintaining peace and stability in Mozambique.”
“I came here to discuss with Mozambique’s security leaders our shared challenges,” said General Townsend. “We have a good bilateral relationship and U.S. Africa Command is looking for ways we can strengthen that to address those mutual concerns.”
General Townsend became the 5th commander of United States Africa Command in July 2019. Headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, U.S. AFRICOM is one of six joint service geographic combatant commands and is responsible for all U.S. military operations and activities to protect and advance U.S. national interests in Africa.
The AFRICOM General’s visit comes one month after Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) made a scheduled port visit to Maputo, an example of the growing U.S.-Mozambique relationship. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Defense conducted two Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) programs between U.S. Special Operations Forces and Mozambican Commandos and Fuzileiros. The U.S. Department of Defense also conducted tactical combat casualty care and combat lifesaver training courses for the armed forces. Mozambique participated in a second multinational maritime exercise Cutlass Express and continues its long-standing participation in the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program.
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