The ambassador of the European Union (EU) in Mozambique believes that within "months" there will be security in Cabo Delgado for the return of large investments associated with natural gas, he said in an interview with Lusa.
Asked if Mozambique risks losing the opportunity to monetize the gas reserves in the Rovuma basin if it takes years to solve the armed insurgency in the region, António Gaspar says he prefers to speak "in months rather than years" until the "normalization" of life in Cabo Delgado begins.
Cabo Delgado "is much safer, no doubt," he said, since troops from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) began supporting Mozambican forces in 2021.
The EU is following the situation and maintaining contacts, in coordination with SAMIM (SADC military mission) and the Rwandan military, which now point to "more sporadic attacks" by the rebels who have been plaguing the region for four and a half years.
"It doesn't mean that the situation is completely under control. We can't let our guard down, but it has already improved a lot and the work that is being done by these forces, with Mozambique, is already giving results."
Be that as it may, "there is a lot of long-term work" because "there may be mixing of insurgents with the population, the borders [with Tanzania] remain porous," among "many other reasons."
"But I'm optimistic," António Gaspar emphasizes to Lusa.
The return of oil company Totalenergies, leader of the gas investing consortium, is not in doubt, he said, "it's a question of [knowing] when. I personally have no doubt" about the return of projects to the Afungi peninsula, suspended a year ago after an attack on the village of Palma.
"It's those investors and especially Total that have to decide, with all the guarantees. It is true that last time, the attacks near Afungi were a shock" and the companies "had to suspend" the operation, said António Gaspar.
"Now they want to come back with all the guarantees," he adds. "I think Mozambique's gas, in the current context, with the EU's strategic need to drastically reduce and end dependence on hydrocarbons from Russia" gets a new opportunity.
While anticipating that within months life will begin to return to normal, António Gaspar believes that this will happen safely throughout the territory.
The EU ambassador thinks that "there will be no risk of double security", tighter in the zone of the gas projects (Palma district and Mocímboa da Praia) and less demanding in the rest of the province.
"Cabo Delgado is big, but it is not the Sahel, it is not that space of millions of kilometers where there is no State administration. In Mozambique, the State administration reaches every place in the country," he concludes.