The first two Mozambican special operations companies trained by the European Union (EU) mission finish training today, Monday.
According to Brigadier General Nuno Lemos Pires of the Portuguese Army, the field commander, who was speaking to Lusa, said that each company, one from the Navy, trained in Katembe (near Maputo), and another from the Army, trained in Chimoio (center of the country), has 130 elements ready to go into the field, namely to confront terrorism in Cabo Delgado, in the north of the country.
At the same time, the training of the first group of six aerotactic controllers, who may be integrated into either Navy or Army contingents to operationalize air support to missions, also comes to an end.
The explanations were given to journalists on the sidelines of the visit of the Portuguese President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, to the training base in Chimoio.
The European Union Training Mission (EUTM) officially started in November 2021, is scheduled to last two years, and will host 140 military trainers during this period.
The mission responds to the government's request for help in preparing 1,100 Mozambican officers, sergeants, and soldiers - six army special operations companies and five navy special operations companies - to fight, in particular, in Cabo Delgado.
Of these 11 companies, two have already been mobilized for that province, having been trained even before the launch of the EUTM, with training taking place in 2021 as part of the bilateral defense cooperation between Portugal and Mozambique.
Cooperation that has now been "strengthened" with this EU mission, said Lemos Pires.
The EUTM operates in four-month cycles for each company, and in which 10 member states - the largest contingent being Portugal (as well as the mission commander on the ground) - are currently engaged.
The training consists of "operational and military training, but has also focused a lot on training in the area of human rights and international law in conflicts," he stressed.
The Portuguese President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, highlighted today at the Chimoio training base the importance of training, considering that the victory over terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado will only be full when life is made without limitations.
"Total victory means allowing the populations to carry out their activities normally, without being conditioned by the existence of terrorism," he said, referring to the region that is experiencing a serious humanitarian crisis, affecting about 860,000 people.
On Saturday, during a visit to another UETM training center in Katembe, the President of the Republic said that a field hospital to support the Mozambican troops in Cabo Delgado is being planned, and that non-lethal military equipment already approved will arrive soon.