Members of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Development Committees are extremely concerned about the deterioration of the humanitarian and security situation in the province of Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique over the past three months. They made an urgent appeal on Thursday 3 December for the European Union to support the government and the people.
Bishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa, who took part in a discussion via videoconference, spoke of a “real tragedy” for 150,000 displaced people hosted in Pemba, the provincial capital, who have lost their loved ones and left everything behind. “We need assistance so that they can continue to live with dignity”, he said.
Foreign Affairs Committee Chair David McAllister (EPP, Germany) recalled the Parliament’s September resolution (see EUROPE 12562/27). He also stressed that the bishop and his team, who are helping the people, live “under constant threat” and that violence and atrocities have intensified in recent months.
“I call on the authorities to ensure the protection of civilians in conflict zones and outside, and full humanitarian access. I call on the European External Action Service (EEAS) to support Mozambique and its citizens”, he said.
The High Representative of the Union, Josep Borrell, has already offered support to the government (see EUROPE 12579/35). “There is the political will to send a group of European experts to discuss possible security cooperation”, said the EEAS representative, who had met the Mozambican Ambassador to the EU the day before. According to her, the EU focuses on supporting the joint strategy of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Development Committee Chair Tomas Tobé (EPP, Sweden) stressed the importance of ensuring that the €100 million in humanitarian aid pledged (see EUROPE 12594/4) benefits people “in a province that has long been neglected by the government”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)