Africa-Press – Mozambique. The parliamentary opposition party, Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), today criticised the “silence of the Government” in response to statements made by the President of Rwanda regarding the Rwandan contingent in Cabo Delgado, arguing that the presence of the force is based on “economic interests”.
“Today we are confronted with public statements from the President (Paul) Kagame, which clearly suggest that Mozambique may have to bear the financial cost of the Rwandan military presence if it wishes to ensure stability and security in Cabo Delgado. These statements, in addition to revealing possible non-transparent agreements between the previous government and Rwanda, constitute a diplomatic and political embarrassment for our country,” said MP Judite Macuácua in Parliament.
“Even more worrying is the silence of the current Government in the face of such serious and sensitive statements,” she added, referring to President Kagame’s declaration that Mozambique and the gas megaprojects should contribute to the costs of the military operation.
“The companies operating in the region (…) should find a way to pay for the necessary security. Comparing this amount [US$20 million from the European Union] with the volume of investment, it is negligible. Therefore, the question is: do they need security or not? If they do, they should pay for it. If they do not, why would we even be there? The next day, we should pack our bags and leave,” Kagame said, according to the media.
MP Judite Macuácua warned that the country now faces the prospect of substantial financial obligations due to Rwanda’s demands, “the scale and impacts of which remain unknown”.
“The security situation in Cabo Delgado and the recent statements by the President of Rwanda confirm what our parliamentary group has been warning for more than five years: the Rwandan military presence was not just an act of solidarity, but a decision based on economic interests,” said the MDM representative.
For this MP, it is unacceptable that, in a democratic state governed by accountability, the Government allowed a foreign force to enter without parliamentary oversight.
“It is inconceivable that, fifty years after independence, the country has not invested in defence and security. Over this period, the Government neglected the air force, the navy, and the training of special forces to defend national sovereignty, which is now effectively entrusted to a country with commercial interests,” she criticised.
The Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) party also criticised the Rwandan troop presence in Cabo Delgado, demanding information on the benefits accruing to both countries.
“Today, Mr Paul Kagame is demanding that Mozambique pay Rwanda. We have previously stated that no state deploys its army to another to fight for free. We are certain that if the Frelimo Government does not meet Kagame’s demands, Mozambique will become like the Democratic Republic of Congo, with devastating resource plunder, and the war in Cabo Delgado will never end,” said Renamo MP José Manteigas.
The Rwandan Government confirmed that over 6,300 soldiers are deployed to fight terrorism in northern Mozambique, three times the number deployed in 2021, reaffirming the need for a “sustainable financing framework” to continue operations.
EU funding for Rwanda’s Mozambique deployment set to end in May – Bloomberg reports
Rwanda warns it may withdraw troops from Mozambique’s insurgency-hit Cabo Delgado
This comes as European Union financial support for the operation approaches its end in May, after 36 months and disbursements totalling €40 million, at a time when the United States has imposed sanctions on the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF) due to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Since October 2017, the gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado has faced an armed insurgency, with attacks claimed by groups affiliated with the Islamic State, which are estimated to have caused over 6,500 deaths.
