Maputo, Aug. 13, 2026 (Lusa) – The Mozambican minister of foreign affairs has called on Slovakia and Denmark to support the extension of the European Union's military mission providing assistance to the defence and security forces in the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado.
«To the Slovak Republic, which is a member of the European Union, we reiterate our request for support for the extension of the European Union's assistance to our defence and security forces, through EUMAM, which is due to be reviewed in September,» said the minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Maria dos Santos Lucas, on Wednesday.
She was speaking in Maputo during the ceremony for the presentation of credentials by the new diplomatic representatives from Cuba, South Africa, Thailand, Nigeria, Ghana, Namibia, Denmark and Slovakia.
According to Maria Lucas, Slovakia, which cooperates with Mozambique in the economic and digital sectors, has expressed its willingness to continue supporting the country.
She said that Mozambique had also submitted a request to Denmark for support regarding the extension of the European Union Military Assistance Mission in Mozambique (EUMAM-MOZ), the continuation of which is due to be considered by the European institutions next month.
In addition to the defence sector, the Mozambican Government has expressed an interest in strengthening cooperation with Denmark in various areas, including agriculture.
With regard to the other countries whose representatives presented their credentials, Maria Lucas stated that all had expressed an interest in deepening cooperation with Mozambique in strategic sectors such as gas and mineral resource extraction, agriculture, trade, fisheries, and in the political and diplomatic spheres.
Lusa reported on 29 May that MEP Hilde Vautmans, from Belgium, stated in Maputo that she would advocate for a two-year extension of EUMAM, whose mission ends at the end of 2026.
On that occasion, four MEPs visited Mozambique to assess the impact of European support, including visits to the province of Cabo Delgado in the north of the country, which has been affected by terrorist attacks since October 2017.
In an interview with Lusa, Hilde Vautmans, who is also chair of the Delegation to the Africa–European Union Parliamentary Assembly, revealed that, under the European Peace Facility, a new package of financial support for investment in equipment could be considered, subject to the final decision of the European Union's member states.
Under the same facility, the previous mission received funding of €89 million for the procurement of non-lethal equipment and logistical support to equip 11 rapid reaction units of the Mozambique armed forces (FADM), trained as part of the European Union Military Training Mission in Mozambique (EUTM-MOZ).
In May, the Council of the European Union extended the mandate of EUMAM-MOZ by a further six months, until 31 December 2026.
EUMAM-MOZ is a non-executive mission that assists the FADM in developing and strengthening its capabilities, seeking to ensure that it is able to implement and sustain the operational cycle of the units previously trained by the European Union.
For almost nine years, Cabo Delgado has been facing an armed insurgency linked to extremist groups associated with the self-proclaimed Islamic State. The conflict has already claimed around 6,500 lives and forced the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, according to data from international organisations.
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