Portugal’s Prime Minister Antonia Costa has revealed that Portugal is willing to send more equipment and support to help Mozambique in its fight against terrorism that has riddled the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
The prime minister was on a two-day official visit to Mozambique, where he took part in the 5th Luso-Moçambican Summit. He visited the Portuguese troops at the Marine Corps School and the European Union training mission to train Mozambican troops to combat terrorism at the Independent Marine Company in Catembe.
Costa observed that Mozambique needed a wide range of equipment including arms in order to be better placed to fight the growing militancy in CD. He reiterated what President Nyusi said during the summit that Mozambique needed modern equipment and that material support would be fundamental to fighting the enemy.
The training of the 11 units of the Mozambican Rapid Reaction Forces (RRF) (marines and commandos) was approved during the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union. It started at the end of last year and is expected to last two years, with 140 military trainees over that period.
The European Union Training Mission in Mozambique was in response to the government’s request for help in preparing 1,100 Mozambican officers, sergeants, and soldiers who comprise six army special operations companies and five navy special operations companies to fight in particular in Cabo Delgado.
