Mozambique's deterioration could attract cooperation with Spain

According to the latest Global Terrorism Index of 2020, Mozambique is the third country in which the total number of victims of terrorism has risen the most. It is only behind Sri Lanka, whose increase is due to a single terrorist attack, and Burkina Faso, whose situation is indeed due to prolonged terrorist activity. This situation in Mozambique is evidence of the deterioration the country is experiencing, particularly in the northern region, Cabo Delgado. This region is rich in resources and this has led to the usual presence of smuggling mafias heading for Tanzania, something that certain terrorist groups are said to have taken advantage of to establish themselves and spread.

The figures for 2019, which are three times the number of deaths in 2018, are worrying. However, the figures for 2020 are even worse. As of 31 October, ACLED had recorded the deaths of over 1,500 people in Mozambique, over 1,200 of them in the aforementioned province of Cabo Delgado. This figure is higher than the previous nine years combined, which has set off all the alarms about the fear that this could be a new source of instability in Africa, as is already the case in the Lake Chad basin and the area of the three borders in the Sahel.

Precisely because of the speed of the deterioration, the United States and the European Union have expressed their willingness to help in the fight against terrorism in the country. As far as our country is concerned, this was announced by the Spanish ambassador to Mozambique, Alberto Cerezo, following a meeting with the president of the Assembly of the Republic, Esperanca Bias. The Spanish ambassador expressed Spain's desire to increase military co-operation with the country, particularly in the area of anti-terrorism, which is in line with the desire also expressed by the EU authorities.

One of the possibilities being considered was put forward by Brigadier General Alfonso García-Vaquero, and would be similar to the work already being carried out in the Sahel. Mozambique has shown interest in the units of the GARSI-Sahel, a project financed by the European Union which is being carried out in collaboration with the French Gendarmerie, the Italian Carabinieri, the Portuguese National Republican Guard and the Spanish Civil Guard, which is responsible for leading the project. 

An initial project between the Guardia Civil and the Gendarmerie of Senegal led to the creation of a unit of these characteristics similar to the Rapid Action Groups present in our country. The good harmony and excellent results gave impetus to an even more ambitious project with the collaboration of Italy, France and Portugal, to provide RAG units to all the G5 Sahel countries - Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mauritania - in addition to the aforementioned Senegal. One unit would thus have been formed in each country, comprising between 120 and 150 troops, and two smaller ones - of 75 each - in Burkina Faso. 

In the second phase of the GARSI Sahel project, the total number of troops trained for these countries is being increased from 810 to 1,832, which will double the number of units and make it possible to cover a larger territory in these countries. Countries such as Senegal, Niger and Chad have already requested the training of more units. Other countries in the region such as Nigeria, Gambia or Côte d'Ivoire would have shown interest, as would Mozambique.