The Spanish Contingent Contributes to the Launch of the Force Regeneration Cycle and Strengthens Bilateral Relations

The EUMAM Mozambique mission begins the training of the 3rd Quick Reaction Force of the Mozambican Navy and welcomes the visit of Spain’s Defence Attaché in Lisbon

The Spanish contingent deployed in the European Union Military Assistance Mission in Mozambique (EUMAM Mozambique) has participated in the official launch of the force regeneration cycle and in the preparation of the institutional visit of Spain’s Defence Attaché to Portugal.

The training of the 3rd Quick Reaction Force (QRF) of the Marines of the Mozambican Navy officially began with a formal ceremony held at Katembe Base presided over by the Mission Force Commander (MFCDR), Commodore Pires Correia. This event marks the beginning of a crucial phase, as it represents EUMAM Mozambique’s commitment to supporting the Mozambican Armed Defence Forces (FADM) in restoring their operational capacity to ensure the security of their territory and population independently.

The training team, under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Bernardo González-Lázaro Sueiras, coordinated the pedagogical design of this activity, which is based on a new training system. As a key development, thanks to the mentoring provided by the European team, Mozambican instructors will lead the training of their own soldiers. This unit will soon be followed by a QRF of Army Commandos, which has already begun the reinforcement phase of personnel and medical screening, ensuring the continuity of the force generation cycle.

Spain’s Defence Diplomacy

The mission also received the visit of Colonel Pedro Antonio Martínez Rodríguez de Lema of the Spanish Marine Corps, Spain’s Defence Attaché to Portugal. He travelled to Maputo from Lisbon to reinforce Spain’s commitment to the stability of Mozambique and the African continent as a whole.

During his stay, Colonel Martínez held an official meeting with the EUMAM Mission Force Commander. He also visited the facilities at Katembe to observe first-hand the advisory and mentoring activities carried out in the areas of logistics and training, coordinated by the two Spanish officers assigned to the mission: Commander César Palomo Bernardos and Lieutenant Colonel González-Lázaro, together with their European counterparts.

Finally, the Defence Attaché conveyed Spain’s appreciation and support to the two Spanish service members deployed in this European mission. As he noted during his meetings, their presence highlights the importance of multinational teamwork and the value of Spain’s contribution to shared security and defence.

EUMAM Mozambique: Shared Security

On 16 April 2024, the Political and Security Committee (PSC) agreed on the gradual transition of the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) Mozambique, launched in 2021, towards a model combining advisory, mentoring and specialised training for Quick Reaction Force units of the Mozambican Armed Forces. Thus, the mission is now designated the European Union Military Assistance Mission in Mozambique (EUMAM Mozambique).