Maputo, Sept. 2, 2026 (Lusa) - The European Union Military Assistance Mission in Mozambique (EUMAM-MOZ), led by Portugal, has trained around 2,000 Mozambican military personnel over the past two years in areas including civil-military cooperation, counter-terrorism and communications, it announced on Wednesday.
«Over the past two years, the mission carried out more than 70 programmes, involving approximately 2,000 Mozambican military personnel in areas such as leadership, logistics, legal and gender advice, civil-military cooperation, health and military engineering, counter-terrorism and communications,» states a press release from the mission.
As it marks the second anniversary of its establishment, EUMAM-MOZ notes that it has been working in close collaboration with the Mozambican Armed Defence Forces (FADM), supporting the sustainability of the Rapid Reaction Forces (QRF) formed by the previous European Union Training Mission in Mozambique (EUTM-MOZ), also led by Portugal (2022 to 2024), and strengthening their operational capability throughout the readiness and deployment cycle.
The activities carried out with Mozambican troops over the past two years have also included training, mentoring and advisory support tailored to the needs identified at different levels within the FADM, the document adds.
Over the past year, the mission reports having focused its efforts on supporting the FADM through the various phases of the QRF operational cycle – preparation, deployment and recovery – with particular attention to the military forces operating in Cabo Delgado.
That gas-rich Mozambican province has been facing an armed insurgency since 2017, which has already claimed more than 6,600 lives and displaced more than 1.2 million people, according to data from agencies on the ground.
«Through mentoring, advisory support and specialised training, procedures and practices at different levels of command have been strengthened, contributing to the maintenance of operational readiness and the enhancement of the FADM's capabilities to fulfil and sustain their responsibilities on the ground,» explains the mission.
Last May, the Council of the European Union extended the mandate of EUMAM-MOZ for a further six months, until 31 December 2026.
EUMAM-MOZ is a non-governmental mission that assists the FADM in developing and strengthening their capabilities, seeking to ensure they can implement and sustain the operational cycle of units previously trained by the European Union.
According to the document, the work carried out by EUMAM-MOZ over the last two years has contributed to strengthening the military capabilities of the Mozambican armed forces and to greater autonomy for the Rapid Reaction Forces in conducting their operations throughout the operational cycle.
«The mission will continue to work in close coordination with the Mozambican authorities, with the aim of preserving the progress made, strengthening the capabilities developed and contributing to the continuity of the partnership between the European Union and Mozambique in the field of security and defence,» it concludes.
Mozambique intends to extend this European Union military mission by two years, Mozambican president Daniel Chapo told Lusa in July, expressing his gratitude for European support and highlighting Portugal's role in the process.
«We have completed the support phase under the first agreement, and we are now in the process of negotiating an extension for at least another two years, because we believe it is extremely important,» stated the Mozambican head of state.
The missions were carried out under the European Peace Facility, which also provided €89 million to purchase non-lethal equipment and to provide logistical support to equip 11 Rapid Reaction Companies of the Armed Forces trained by EUTM-MOZ.
According to the Mozambican President, cooperation between the two countries in this sector «is long-standing», and he also expressed his gratitude for the support provided by the EU and Portugal since the start of the armed insurgency in Cabo Delgado in 2017.
LCE/ADB // ADB.
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