Africa-Press – Mozambique. The European Union Training Mission (EUTM-MOZ), which was helping the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM) to fight Islamist terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, has closed after training 11 units of marines and commandos.
The EUTM-Moz was set up in July 2021 with the aim of training and supporting the FADM in protecting the civilian population, and restoring safety and security in Cabo Delgado.
Although the EUTM-MOZ has reached the end of its mission, cooperation between the Mozambican government and the European Union is continuing under an agreement signed in August setting up the European Union Military Assistance Mission in Mozambique (EUMAM-MOZ), which will continue until 30 June 2026.
The EUTM-MOZ training benefited more than 1,800 Mozambican military personnel in operational strategies and counter-terrorism.
Speaking at a closing event, on Wednesday, in Maputo, the commander of EUTM-MOZ, the Portuguese João Gonçalves, said that the Mission has accomplished its objectives with skill, knowledge and high professionalism, sharing experiences with the FADM.
“It is fair to take this opportunity to thank the members of EUTM-MOZ for all the objectives achieved during deployment on this mission. We contributed to the fulfilment of the EU’s strategic objectives through the effort put into training the commando forces and marines, as well as the creation of an important FADM military capability”, Gonçalves said.
Addressing the EU military and support personnel, Gonçalves said that “far from your families, you have been able to represent your countries with distinction and have become ambassadors for the EU.”
For his part, Joaquim Mangrasse, Chief of Staff of the FADM told reporters that the EU had responded with resolution, speed and firmness in training 11 units of marines and FADM commandos.
“I would like to express my sincere thanks to the EUTM-MOZ for its invaluable support and dedication in the fight against terrorism and the promotion of security and stability in Cabo Delgado. They demonstrated effective performance, directly proportional to the provision of equipment”, he said.
In addition to the five Marine groups at the KaTembe unit in Maputo city, and six Special Forces companies in the central city of Chimoio, the EUTM-MOZ, in the Air Force branch, trained 44 military forward air controllers.
The EU has spent around 15.6 million Euros (17.2 million US dollars) on all the military training activities undertaken by the mission.
The training included education on the protection of civilians and compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law, which included specific training on women, peace and security
The Commander General of EU Military Missions, Michiel van der Laan, said that the EUTM-MOZ has created a great challenge for its successors, who can be proud of it, especially in securing the ties and giving true meaning to the term partnership.
“As Mission Commander, I think it is important to remember that the fight against terrorism is not just a military effort, it also has socio-economic and civilian dimensions”, he said.
For his part, the new commander of EUMAM-MOZ, Brigadier General Luís Barroso, said that EUMAM-MOZ is a focal point of the Rapid Reaction Forces (FRR) to equip effective and credible communities, capable of planning and conducting sustained operations across the spectrum, especially designed to act in all the districts of Cabo Delgado.
“We will support you in everything you need so that the operational cycle of the 11 Rapid Reaction Forces is maintained over the long term. I can assure the Mozambican authorities that they can count on our full commitment to respond effectively to your needs and requests”, he said.
EU Ambassadors/HoM and distinguished guests were present.
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