Rwanda receives military funding from the European Union for its war in Mozambique

The European Union has donated €20 million to Rwandan troops in Mozambique.
The Rwandan troops in Mozambique are there on a peacekeeping mission.
The Rwandan Government has said that it would continue to remain unrelenting in its fight against terrorism.

The European Union has donated €20 million to Rwandan troops in Mozambique.

The €20 million from the European Union to the Rwandan troops was donated in support of the Rwandan army currently in the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique on a peacekeeping mission.

Rwanda’s entry into the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique dates back to July 2021, when they deployed around security personnel from both its army and police department.

Rwanda was invited by Mozambique under a bilateral arrangement between both nations. There are currently around 2500 Rwandan troops in Cabo Delgado, engaged in joint operations with the Mozambican army.

The funding information by Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, is coming in the aftermath of new terrorist attacks in the region, and also after the disclosure by the Rwandan President Paul Kagame thatthe pledges which were made to assist Rwanada was yet to come to fruition.

This is the first EU funding this particular mission has received since it was launchedHowever, the EU has spent €89 million for the Mozambican Armed Forces in conjunction with the EU Training Mission (EUTM) in Mozambique.

The Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vincent Biruta, noted that the Rwandan government is against any act of terrorism and it would continue to do its part in combating the vile act. “Rwanda remains a reliable partner in the fight against terrorism on the continent and we are pleased to collaborate with the European Union in this work,” he said n Thursday as he announced that the government had received the funding from the European Union.

“We have increased the troops because since our arrival in Mozambique, many problems have been solved in collaboration with the Mozambicans. In the areas we operate in, the problem has been solved completely. But because the terrorists have fled to other areas of Mozambique, we could not reach in all regions." He added.

Despite the minister’s words, Rwanda has been accused by the Democratic Republic of Congo of supporting rebel groups in the DRC. An accusation that has spurred a volatile relationship between both countries and has also gotten its neighbor countries involved. Read the story here.