The government today approved a deliberation that proposes to the President of the Republic the nomination of Marine class commodore Martins de Brito to command the European Union's training mission in Mozambique

 "It was approved the deliberation that proposes to His Excellency the President of the Republic the appointment of the commodore of the marine class Rogério Paulo Figueira Martins de Brito to the position of Commander of the 'European Union Training Mission in Mozambique'," reads the statement issued today by the Council of Ministers.

According to the official website of the Armed Forces General Staff (EMGFA), Portugal has 68 soldiers committed to this mission.

The goal is to "support the Mozambican Armed Forces to give a more efficient and effective response to the crisis in Cabo Delgado, in compliance with the legal provisions, in terms of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.

The mission is currently commanded by Portuguese Brigadier General Nuno Lemos Pires.

In an interview to the Lusa news agency, last June 26, in a review of the work done by UETM in about eight months, the Portuguese general stressed that the European device is "trying and succeeding in fulfilling what was agreed between the European Union (EU) and Mozambique," but "the path is made by walking.

"These things of setting up a completely new mission in the field have their paperwork, have their times," he said.

In July 2021, EU foreign ministers approved the establishment of a military training mission in Mozambique to "train and support the Mozambican Armed Forces" in "restoring security" in Cabo Delgado, a province in the north of the country that has been the scene of attacks by armed groups since 2017, some of which have been claimed by the extremist group Islamic State, with a tally of more than 3,100 dead and more than 817,000 displaced.(Lusa)