A high-level Africom delegation, led by the Command’s deputy, was in Mozambique last week to talk defence, maritime security and counter-terrorism to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) country.
The visit, as per a statement from the Germany headquartered United States (US) Armed Forces command responsible for Africa, underscored a shared commitment to stabilising the region, directly securing the liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Cabo Delgado — a transformative infrastructure project with the potential to net billions of dollars for the Mozambican people.
US Army Lieutenant General John W Brennan headed the delegation which included Ambassador Peter Vrooman, deputy to the commander for civil-military engagement and US Chargé d’Affaires Abigail Dressel. They met senior Mozambican defence officials and energy sector leaders between 5 and 7 November.
A primary focus of the bilateral engagement was aligning security co-operation with critical infrastructure protection to drive private sector confidence. When international private corporations observe host nation partners actively working and training alongside elite US troops, they perceive significantly less risk to multi-billion-dollar capital investments and personnel, the Africom statement reads in part.
By reinforcing security architecture around strategic energy corridors like Afungi, the LPG industrial hub in Cabo Delgado’s Palma district, a defence partnership provides the stability for global energy supply chains, ensuring Mozambique’s natural resources can be safely developed to directly benefit the local economy.
“Fighting terrorism is not a fight that any one nation can win on their own, it requires a professional, unified and co-ordinated network of international partners,” Brennan said adding: “our [the US] close military partnership with Mozambique is focused on enabling operationally self-sufficient forces to secure their sovereign territory, neutralise violent extremist threats and build the secure foundation required for long term economic investment to thrive.”
This co-operative approach is put into action through training events like Exercise Cutlass Express, which brings together more than 30 nations to train in all domains of combat — land, sea, air, space and cyberspace.
By expanding battlefield survivability and tactical co-ordination across these operating environments, the exercise enhances the capabilities of the Forças Armadas de Defesa de Moçambique (FADM) to protect sovereign territory and safeguard the Mozambique Channel from asymmetric threats.
“Exercises like Cutlass Express bring unique, multi-domain capabilities that can help Mozambique fight narcotics trafficking, disrupt illicit maritime activities and cut off the funding streams of extremist groups. Working side-by-side through joint combined exchange training, explosive ordnance disposal instruction and multinational exercises, we are building a resilient and professional force capable of securing a prosperous, stable future for all Mozambicans,” Brennan is on record saying.
The US visit to Mozambique comes hard on the heels of a senior European diplomat engaging with South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO) in October as regards strengthening, among others, maritime security in the Mozambique Channel. SADC-wise, this obligation is currently headed by South Africa, with the maritime service of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) the lead supported by Mozambique and Tanzania in Operation Copper.
EU External Action Director of Peace, Partnerships and Crisis Management, Cosmin Dobrin, told this publication he hoped for more SADC involvement in the Mozambique Channel as this waterway is seen as potentially one where piracy can increase due to unrest and violence in the North Africa and Middle East (MENA) region. He would not be drawn on whether this meant additional assets deployed under the EU Atalanta banner or more patrols by South African Navy (SAN) hulls.
Ahead of touching down in Mozambique, Brennan and his entourage were in Madagascar where, maritime security and defence economic objectives were the main topics.
Apart from meetings in Antananarivo and Antsiranana naval base, the US delegation called on the the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre.
Brennan is on record as saying: “By enabling operationally independent Malagasy forces to monitor and police their own sovereign waters, we help ensure that international shipping lanes remain open and that Madagascar’s maritime wealth stays in Madagascar”. This view was echoed by Vrooman who said: “Securing Madagascar’s marine resources is both a national security priority and a vital economic imperative”.
On what he termed “a critical need” to protect the Malagasy blue economy from exploitation, Vrooman said: “The US and our Malagasy partners share a commitment in building maritime awareness and security that enhances regional stability and contributes to prosperity for Madagascar”.
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