While MEPs and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, share serious concerns about the deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, they are divided on how to help the government and the population.
Josep Borrell was criticised by MEPs for insufficient EU action during a plenary debate on Tuesday afternoon (15 December).
The Foreign Affairs and Development Committees had previously issued an urgent appeal for more EU aid in view of the ongoing tragedy in the north of the country (see EUROPE 12615/19).
In addition to the €37 million in humanitarian aid mobilised by the EU for Cabo Delgado, the High Representative reported that there was “constant contact with the government and with international institutions, the United Nations, the African Union and the United States”.
And announced that he has “asked the Portuguese Foreign Minister”, Augusto Santos Silva, “who will soon hold the Presidency” of the EU Council, “to go to the region as my personal envoy, since I cannot go there myself due to scheduling reasons”.
Portuguese MEPs have become impatient. “We are not up to the crisis. You don’t have time to travel to Mozambique and there are no resources for Cabo Delgado. Portugal will play its part, but Mozambique cannot be left out. However, this has been the case since you have been in office”, said Paulo Rangel (EPP, Portugal).
More moderate, his compatriot Carlos Zorrinho (S&D), stressing that the Portuguese Presidency had decided to show action by helping the Mozambican armed forces, felt that “there needs to be a new EU stance on the conflict in Cabo Delgado and that they need to turn this stance into action”.
Borrell said that in response to the Mozambican government’s request for support, the European security experts, “who have been appointed since November, are ready to leave for Mozambique as soon as they are authorised to do so” by the country’s authorities.
Sandra Perreira (GUE/NGL, Portugal) said she rejected “any instrumentalisation of the situation in Cabo Delgado, because it opens the door to interventionism and neo-colonial positions that ignore Mozambique’s independence”. Any action must respect Mozambique’s sovereignty, she warned.
Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana (Greens/EFA, Germany) called for the EU to focus on helping children and women who are victims of violence and for “multi-level solutions to be found to mitigate this conflict, without interfering”.
Stressing that Mozambique faces chronic problems of poor governance, development, poverty, inequality and armed conflict, Mr Borrell said that “this can only be solved through concerted action with the international community, in which the European Union participates to the best of its ability”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)