The European Union (EU) Council has today adopted a 20 million euro 'top-up' to an existing assistance measure established under the European Peace Facility (EPF) for the support of the Rwandan Defence Forces in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.

The top-up is set to allow for the acquisition of personal equipment and "cover costs related to the strategic airlift needed to sustain the Rwandan deployment in Cabo Delgado."

Deploying a 1000-man strong force to Mozambique in 2021 at the behest of the Mozambican authorities, Rwanda has remained a key bulwark in the nation's fight against Islamic terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, despite the Commander of the Mozambique Armed Forces, Major General Tiago Alberto Nampele, declaring the defeat of Jihadist forces in the province in December 2023.

What You Need to Know

Flaring in 2017, the terrorist threat in Cabo Delgado has ebbed and flowed, with various nations stepping in to aid the FDS. Thus far, 1650 FDS have been trained by the EU training mission in the country, with its mandate set to expire in 2026. In 2021, Rwandan forces deployed to the country alongside the SADC mission in the country, SAMIM, and have remained a key bulwark against the various terrorists operating in the north—including the Islamic State (IS) affiliated Ansar al-Sunna, known locally as al-Shabab.

SAMIM forces left the country in July of this year, with the SADC seeking to focus their efforts in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where government forces face increasing incursions from the M23 rebel group alongside nearly 120 other armed actors. Tanzanian forces under SAMIM opted to remain in Mozambique, however, and have continued counter-insurgency operations in the north.

The European Peace Facility, founded in 2021 to finance EU external actions with military and defence applications, aims to 'prevent conflict, preserve peace, and strengthen international peace and stability.'

Essentially, the EPF enables the EU to finance actions that strengthen the capacities of third states as well as regional and international organizations.

Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said on the matter, "The presence of the Rwandan Defence Force troops has been instrumental to make progress and remains key, especially given the recent withdrawal of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM). This top-up measure is a testimony of the EU's support for 'African solutions to African problems' and, as part of the global fight against terrorism, it will also serve EU interests in the region."

According to the Council's press service, the top-up measure will complement the "parallel assistance measure worth 89 million euros for the Mozambique Armed Forces previously trained by the EU Training Mission Mozambique (EUTM)."

So, What Now

Despite the drop in insurgent activity between July 2021 and December 2023 due to the presence of Rwandan and Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) forces, attacks have increased again in recent months, creating questions around the effectiveness of a military intervention without humanitarian programs to bolster it.

The 6-year-long conflict has its roots in the socio-economic marginalization of the north due to the discovery of mineral and gas deposits, which has increased inequality, driving young men towards radical political and religious ideology. With the SAMIM withdrawal in July 2024, and despite the work of the Rwandan forces in the country, attacks by Islamic militants have continued to increase in Africa in 2024, particularly in the Sahel, making the containment of Mozambique's insurgency key to the stability in the south of the continent.