Mozambique and Uganda signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Defence Cooperation on Monday, 2 March, strengthening the legal and political framework of bilateral relations between the two countries in this strategic sector.
The agreement was signed during an official ceremony attended by Mozambique’s Minister of National Defence, Cristóvão Artur Chume, and Uganda’s Minister of State for Defence and Veterans Affairs, Oleru Huda Abason, alongside senior and junior officers of the Mozambican Defence Armed Forces and the Uganda Defence Forces, as well as members of the delegations from both states.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister Chumel highlighted that the memorandum reflects a mutual desire to consolidate bilateral cooperation in the defence sector, emphasising that the instrument embodies the historic ties of friendship and solidarity between Maputo and Kampala.
For her part, Uganda’s Minister of State for Defence and Veterans Affairs recalled the historic links between the two countries spanning more than five decades, evoking Mozambique’s support for Uganda’s liberation process in the 1970s. She said the newly formalised understanding opens new avenues for cooperation in training, experience sharing, the defence industry, military-academic exchanges, disaster management, and strategic information exchange, reiterating Kampala’s commitment to deepening a partnership based on mutual respect, sovereignty, and the ideals of Pan-Africanism.
According to both officials, the document is the result of meticulous technical work carried out by experts from both sides, aimed at harmonising understandings and establishing clear foundations for joint action in military and security cooperation.
The memorandum is expected to promote concrete initiatives in training, experience exchange, institutional capacity building, and coordination on security and counter-terrorism matters — challenges shared by both countries and the region.
In conclusion, the Mozambican government reiterated its commitment to ensure that the implementation of the agreement produces tangible results, contributing to enhanced stability, peace, and sustainable development.