Rwanda says it will keep its troops deployed in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province after the Mozambican government secured funding to sustain the mission, Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe announced on Tuesday.
Rwanda had warned earlier this year that it could withdraw its forces if adequate financing was not guaranteed following reports that the European Union was reluctant to renew support for the operation.
Nduhungirehe said Rwanda would now work directly with Mozambique after the EU’s European Peace Facility provided only a fraction of the mission’s costs and showed reluctance toward further funding.
He said Maputo had assured Kigali that it would continue to finance the deployment, though he did not disclose the amount or duration of the support.
“The collaboration between the two governments has been successful and will continue in the same trend as the work of the Rwandan security forces in Cabo Delgado is appreciated by the sisterly country of Mozambique,” Nduhungirehe wrote on X.
Rwandan troops were first deployed to northern Mozambique in 2021 at Maputo’s request, helping to push back an Islamic State‑linked insurgency that had overrun parts of the gas‑rich province.
Their intervention has been credited with restoring enough stability for major energy companies, including TotalEnergies, to resume work on multibillion‑dollar LNG projects.
Rwanda says its forces have helped reopen schools, businesses and communities displaced by the conflict while continuing to train Mozambican security units.
Despite these gains, analysts say sporadic attacks continue.
The terms of the bilateral agreement governing Rwanda’s presence in Cabo Delgado have never been made public, but both governments have repeatedly praised the cooperation.
JN/APA