On Monday 18 November, the Council of the European Union adopted a €20 million top-up to an existing assistance measure under the ‘European Peace Facility’ to support the deployment of Rwandan defence forces in the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique.
“This support will enable the acquisition of personal equipment, and cover costs related to the strategic airlift needed to sustain the Rwandan deployment” the EU Council said in its press release.
Belgium abstained constructively, explaining that “while supporting the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado and wishing to adopt a constructive and united approach within the EU”, it wished to “stress the importance of respecting the United Nations Charter”.
According to Belgian diplomacy, the presence of Rwandan defence troops (RDF) on DRC territory constitutes a violation of the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
In a press release, it stressed “the importance of carefully observing the additional elements of conditionality that apply to the implementation of the assistance measure to ensure that the aid remains exclusively dedicated to the fight against terrorism in Mozambique by the RDF, in support of the Mozambican armed forces and for the benefit of the Mozambican population, and is not diverted for other purposes or used in other areas of operation”.
“Any failure to comply with international law and respect for human rights could result in the suspension or termination of this support”, it added.
This support is therefore accompanied by a binding legal instrument concerning compliance on the use of funds. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)