China to Train Mozambican Armed Forces

Following a six-day working visit to China as part of the China-Africa Forum on Cooperation, held between September 4th and 6th, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has hinted towards the possible training of Mozambican military personnel (FDS) by Chinese advisors in order to stamp out the last terrorist cells operating in the nation's northern Cabo Delgado province..What You Need to KnowFlaring in 2017, the terrorist threat in Cabo Delgado has ebbed and flowed, with various nations stepping to aid the FDS. Thus far, 1650 FDS have been trained by the EU training mission in the country, with its mandate set to expire in 2026. In 2021, Rwandan forces deployed to the country alongside the SADC mission in the country SAMIM, and have remained a key bulwark against the various terrorists operating in the north–including the Islamic State (IS) affiliated Ansar al-Sunna, known locally as al-Shabab. SAMIM forces left the country in July of this year, with the SADC seeking to focus their efforts in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where government forces face increasing incursions from the M23 rebel group alongside nearly 120 other armed actors. Tanzanian forces under SAMIM opted to remain in Mozambique however, and have continued counter-insurgency operations in the north.Most recently, in early July, France reaffirmed its commitment to re-establishing security in Cabo Delgado, with French President Emmanuel Macron praising the "quality of [France's] relations with Mozambique."According to President Nyusi, speaking to reporters after his working visit, "They're [China] going to say how they're going to do it. During the bilateral meetings, we learnt that China will support us in the protection against terrorism and drug trafficking. They also went into greater depth when they said that they are going to train more military personnel.".So, What Now?"In the next few days the Chinese military authorities will present the strategic details for training the national military, which should receive important knowledge, especially in the area of maritime protection," said President Nyusi.While the details of this upcoming cooperation are yet to be released, further aid to Mozambican counter-terrorism operations are likely to be welcomed across the Cabo Delgado region, where civilians continue to live under threat.