President Paul Kagame has dismissed concerns over a possible suspension of European Union financial support for Rwandan security forces deployed in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, saying the funding was never the basis for miltary presence there. Speaking in an interview with Jeune Afrique, Kagame said Rwanda had been paying for much of the cost of the operations, spending four to five times the amount provided by the EU, which he described as “a fraction” of the bill. ALSO READ: Rwandan troops in Mozambique for solidarity, not money – Makolo “We are not expected to be supportive of the effort in Mozambique or anywhere and then we pay for it,” Kagame said. Rwanda currently has about 6,300 troops, including police officers deployed in Cabo Delgado, where they have been fighting Islamic State-linked militants since July 2021 at the invitation of the Mozambican government. The EU has provided €40 million in support of the operations, with the latest support reported to be ending in May without renewal. Kagame pushed back at any suggestion that the funding amounted to a favour to Rwanda. ALSO READ: Before and after Rwanda sent troops to Mozambique “European Union... I don’t know how they got confused about it that they would be giving this money as a favour to us. No. Actually, it is a favour to Mozambique that we are helping,” he said. “The companies operating there, Total and ExxonMobil and others, and the government of Mozambique, whose assets these are, should figure out how to pay for the security they need,” he said. He added that the cost of operations was very tiny compared to the scale of investment in the province. “If they need security, they pay for it. If they don’t need it, why would we even have to be there? The next day, we should pack our bags and go.”
