EU financial support for Mozambique’s armed forces – EU Commission answer

Brussels, 25 July 2022

See question(s) : E-001570/2022

EN
E-001570/2022
Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Borrell i Fontelles
on behalf of the European Commission
(25.7.2022)

Since 2017, the Mozambican Province of Cabo Delgado has been facing a growing cycle of violence, which has triggered a significant humanitarian crisis and has resulted in over 4000 fatalities, of which most are tragically civilians – as documented by amongst others the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).

It is in this context, that on 15 October 2021, the Council took the decision to launch the Common Security and Defence Policy military training mission (EUTM) in Mozambique, in conjunction with a European Peace Facility assistance measure to provide non-lethal equipment, in order to support the Mozambican Defence Armed Forces (FADM). EUTM Mozambique is training specific units of the FADM, in order to help them build the capacity to respond more effectively to the security challenges in the Cabo Delgado Province. EUTM is only one of the tools in the EU’s Integrated Approach in supporting Mozambique in dealing with this crisis, together with support to peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and development cooperation, as well as the promotion of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.

Securing gas sites is not an objective of EUTM Mozambique. EUTM does not participate in any armed conflict and it is not involved in any military operations. According to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, the training provided by EUTM does not make the EU a ‘co-belligerent’.