The US has launched a joint military training exercise with Mozambique to build the southern African country’s capacity to contain a four-year-old insurgency by Islamic State-linked militants, Washington’s top envoy in Maputo said late Thursday.
In a statement, US Ambassador to Mozambique Dennis Hearne said the third Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) programme, which is expected to run until the end of 2022, would assist Mozambican government forces to strengthen their special operations skills.
“As a strategic partner, the United States is committed to ensuring our military-to-military engagements continue during such an important moment for Mozambique’s national security,” Hearne said.
This is the third JCET exercise in Mozambique since March 2021.
The JCET programme provides foreign military and US special operations forces an opportunity to exchange knowledge and best practices.
In addition to military training, the exercise is expected to focus on the law of armed conflict, human rights and medical training.
The US is one of several countries that have come to the aid of Mozambican forces in their battle against the terrorists who have attacked government installations and civilians in Cabo Delgado province since 2017.
The attacks have left more than 3,000 people dead and nearly 800,000 displaced.
Other countries that assisted Mozambique include members of the Southern African Development Community bloc and Rwanda, which have deployed troops to Cabo Delgado.
The European Union is also providing tactical and law of armed conflict training for Mozambican forces.
JN/APA