The commander of the European Union Training Mission in Mozambique (EUTM) revealed yesterday that the Mozambican special forces trained by the European Union (EU) to combat "terrorism" in Cabo Delgado are performing "extremely well" on the ground, despite "a few minor failures".".

"The information at the moment is extremely positive, it is differentiating, it is, in fact, remunerative for what is the general effort of the FADM [Mozambique Armed Defense Forces] in Cabo Delgado," said Portuguese Rogério Martins de Brito.

The source was speaking during a lecture on the "Contribution of the European Union Training Mission to Mozambique's Defence and Security", organized in Maputo by the Centre for Strategic Analysis of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP).

According to the commander, the Mozambican special forces are trained to be quick reaction forces (QRF) and adapted to the challenges posed by the insurgency in Cabo Delgado province, in the north of the country, the elements of those units are endowed with special characteristics such as high mobility, readiness, flexibility, interoperability and command and control capabilities.

The Portuguese official said that the QRF's actions in Cabo Delgado have been reported to the EUTM by the command of the Armed Defense Forces of Mozambique (FADM) and the military missions of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Rwanda, which are also fighting the rebels in that province.

However, the source admitted that the actions of the units in question have seen "some small failures", and warned that the "eradication of terrorism" will not be achieved by using the QRF alone, because this type of device is designed for "surgical operations" and does not act like regular forces, which are prepared for the occupation of territory and routine patrols.

Cited by Lusa, the EUTM commander pointed out that the Mozambican special forces are involved in offensive actions against the rebels, as part of a joint operation with the regular Mozambican, SADC and Rwandan forces.

"Since I arrived [to head the mission] ten months ago, I've seen clear improvements in coordination, command, communication, mobility and interoperability," emphasized Rogério Martins Brito.

With a two-year mandate starting in September 2022, EUTM will evaluate the future of its presence in Mozambique with the Mozambican authorities by the end of this year, but it has already trained around 60 Mozambican instructors who will continue training the country's special forces, he said.

As well as providing operational training to the QRF, EUTM has also supplied combat equipment to members of these units, with the value of the material support provided already exceeding 80 million euros.

Rogério Martins de Brito advocated greater coordination and presence of civil society organizations, humanitarian support agencies and government entities in Cabo Delgado, to promote development actions, because the military response is not enough to eradicate violent extremism in the province.

"There is no security without development and there is no development without security," said Brito.

He noted that the training of Mozambican special forces under the EUTM incorporates values defended by the EU, such as the defense of human rights, international humanitarian law, non-discrimination, the protection of children, the elderly and women, as well as the fight against gender-based violence.

The EUTM mandate provides for the formation of 11 Mozambican QRF units, each with a composition equivalent to a military company.

The mission is made up of a contingent of 117 people, 65 of whom are from Portugal, the country that will also take command of EUTM during its two-year mandate.

The province of Cabo Delgado has been facing armed insurgency for almost six years, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.