MAPUTO, Mozambique
The vice admiral in charge of the European Union military mission in Mozambique has called for a change to its mandate to allow the presence of EU personnel in Cabo Delgado, the province in the north of the country that has been the scene of an armed insurgency for more than two years.
Vice Admiral, Hervé Bléjean, who is head of the
European Union Military Staff (EUMS) and also of Military Planning Conduct
Capability, was giving testimony to a hearing of the European Parliament’s
security and defence subcommittee on Wednesday.
“The security situation remains stable, with no
major challenges for the activities of the EUTM, which is, I remind you, far
outside Cabo Delgado province,” he commented.
The EUTM mission is in Katembe, on the southern
shore of Maputo bay, close to the capital, and in Chimoio, in central
Mozambique.
On this aspect, the vice-admiral expressed
frustration over the fact that the EU military was so far from the conflict
zone.
“Currently, the mandate we have excludes strategic
advice, unlike what we do elsewhere,” he noted. “Our ability to really
understand the nature and effectiveness of operations in Cabo Delgado is
limited and we have to find other means as we are not allowed to go there.”
He said that Mozambique’s president, Filipe Nyusi, “told
me with a big smile: ‘you soldiers don’t want to go there; I’m going there next
week, the MPs are going there, the ambassadors are going there'” – adding that
“the image is not very good for the soldiers, who can be accused of being less
brave than others.
“It is in our interest to have the possibility to
travel there,” he said.
During the hearing, Bléjean said that “the security
situation in Cabo Delgado province has improved considerably” of late.
“I am talking about the security situation, but not
yet the humanitarian situation,” he stressed. However, he said that “despite
positive developments, the situation requires special attention, as the
insurgency is tending to dilute and spread not only to neighbouring provinces,
especially Niassa, but also to Tanzania.”
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