EU mission chief wants troops to be allowed to go to Cabo Delgado

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.”