Maputo, May 14, 2026 (Lusa) - The Council of the European Union (EU) has extended the mandate of the EU Military Assistance Mission in Mozambique (EUMAM MOZ) for a further six months, until 31 December 2026, the Council announced on Thursday in Maputo.
In a statement, the Portugal-led mission said that the extension of the current mandate is linked to the need to continue developing capacity-building programmes for the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces, which are “focused on the Quick Reaction Force (QRF), their operational cycle, and their logistics and maintenance, to contribute to their sustainability and self-sufficiency".
"The EU in general and EUMAM MOZ in particular demonstrate their strong commitment to supporting Mozambique and the armed forces in promoting peace in Cabo Delgado," the statement said.
It added that since the start of EUMAM MOZ’s mandate on 1 September 2024, more than 40 training programmes have been implemented in collaboration with the armed forces, involving 1,200 Mozambican military personnel.
"Of these, approximately 300 are currently attending the QRF regeneration programmes for commandos and marines," said the statement from EUMAM MOZ, led by Commodore César Pires Correia and comprising more than 80 military and civilian personnel from 11 EU member states, including Austria, Belgium, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, and Serbia (a non-member state).
EUMAM MOZ is a non-executive mission that assists the armed forces in developing and strengthening their capabilities, to ensure that they implement and sustain the operational deployment cycle of the previously formed QRFs, thereby contributing to the stability and development of Cabo Delgado province, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law.
In 2024, the EU announced an adjustment to the strategic objectives of the former EU Military Training Mission in Mozambique (EUTM-MOZ), which, on 1 September 2024, transitioned from a training to an assistance model, thereby becoming known as EUMAM-MOZ.
EUTM-MOZ trained over 1,700 Mozambican commandos and marines in two years, who now form 11 QRF companies and are combating terrorism in Cabo Delgado, and around a hundred trainers.
The mission in Mozambique was also funded through the European Peace Facility to acquire all types of non-lethal equipment for these special forces companies.
Since October 2017, Cabo Delgado has been facing an armed insurgency linked to extremist groups associated with the Islamic State, a conflict that has claimed around 6,500 lives and forced thousands to flee their homes, according to data from international organisations.
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