- Since 2021, Rwandan troops have been operating in northern Mozambique under secret agreements never ratified by the Mozambican Parliament
By MOZTIMES
Maputo (MOZTIMES)—Mozambique and Rwanda signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) on Wednesday in Kigali, establishing the legal framework for the Rwandan troops deployed to support counter-terrorism operations in Cabo Delgado, the office of President Daniel Chapo announced in a statement.
The agreement was signed by the defence ministers of the two countries, Juvenal Marizamunda of Rwanda and Cristóvão Chume of Mozambique, during President Chapo’s working visit to Rwanda, which began on Wednesday. The Head of State is accompanied by ministers from key sectors of his government, including Defence, Finance, Foreign Affairs, and Development.
This is the first time the signing of a SOFA has been publicly announced to regulate the operations of Rwandan forces in Mozambique, who were first deployed to Cabo Delgado in July 2021. Initially, the contingent numbered around one thousand soldiers and police officers, but this has reportedly grown to about five thousand.
A SOFA governs issues such as privileges and immunities, jurisdiction over offences committed by military personnel, customs duties, and administrative arrangements for bases. It does not grant foreign forces the right of presence but instead regulates their operations once a legal basis for their deployment has been established.
The absence of a SOFA for more than four years of Rwandan military presence in Cabo Delgado – and in Nampula, where Mozambican Defence Forces receive training – exposes the secrecy surrounding the original agreement. Signed under former President Filipe Nyusi, the arrangement was never submitted to Parliament for ratification, and essential details, such as the duration of the deployment and terms of its renewal, remain undisclosed.
Rwandan media cite President Paul Kagame as stressing that it is Africa’s mission to fight jihadist insurgencies on the continent, warning that outsourcing this responsibility to external actors would not build lasting peace or development. The stance reinforces Rwanda’s projection as a continental military power. (MT)
