"It is a legitimate aspiration. A commander in an operational theatre wants to have access to the best material and in quantity to develop his activity, and unfortunately it has to be that way, it has to be fought with lethal material too," acknowledged Major-General João Gonçalves, of the Portuguese Air Force, in an interview with Lusa, in Maputo. "Politically it was decided at the highest level that the design of this mission would be with these 89 million euros of non-lethal equipment, top quality equipment, which equips any type of modern army in the world," he also explained. EUTM-MOZ, led by Portugal, has trained in almost two years more than 1,650 Mozambican commandos and marines, who now make up 11 companies of Quick Reaction Forces (QRF) and are already fighting terrorism in Cabo Delgado, as well as a hundred trainers. The mission in Mozambique was also financed through the European Peace Facility for the acquisition of all types of non-lethal equipment for these special forces companies. However, the Mozambican authorities have repeatedly requested the provision of lethal material to reinforce the fight against insurgent groups in Cabo Delgado, in the north of the country. "The European Union, by providing this equipment as part of these QRFs, will free Mozambique to try to compensate and arrange other partnerships for lethal material. I continue to say, from a military point of view and from the point of view of employment in the theatre of operations, Mozambique's aspiration is valid and will be something that will be negotiated at a level much higher than mine, at a political level," said João Gonçalves. The Council of the European Union (EU) announced this month the extension of the military training mission in Mozambique until 30 June 2026, with a planned budget of 14 million euros for the next two years, which will be only for the operation of the operation. "It has not yet been decided whether there will be, under the European Peace Facility, a new aid package, of equipment, to Mozambique (..) these are aspects that are dealt with at the political level," said the major-general. The new mission will incorporate a strategic change, becoming the EU Military Assistance Mission in Mozambique (EUMAM Mozambique), with effect from 1 September 2024, adapting the strategic objectives of the mission, moving from the training model to assistance with advice. "We will continue to monitor this training [of the QRFs], to follow the activities developed by Mozambique, but already in a slightly more rearward position. And we will advise on the whole part of the 'iceberg' that is under water and that is not visible, which is the sustenance, the operation of this QRF cycle," he said. "The QRFs need to be regenerated, they are not always in combat, they need to regenerate, maintain all the equipment that the EU has been delivering and therefore Mozambique understood that now would be the time for this differentiated support," João Gonçalves explained. The mission, he said, is still being designed with the Mozambican authorities to be operationalized for the next two years, but if Mozambique decides to increase the number of these special forces companies, it will be the Mozambican military that will guarantee their training. "It will be with their own instructors [trained by EUTM-MOZ], since the QRF should not be seen as the men who will form the company. It's the whole package, all the equipment. The vehicles we are delivering, which are hundreds, the boats, also about a hundred, field hospitals, all this is part of the QRFs. The investment is more than the training," the commander stressed. EUTM-MOZ includes 119 military personnel from 13 Member States, more than half from Portugal, but has the particularity of including two other countries, outside the European Union, which contribute one military each, in the cases of Serbia and Cape Verde. On the table is the possibility of Portugal continuing to lead, from September, the new EUMAM Mozambique, which is smaller than the current one. "Once again it is a political decision. What I can tell you is that in the contacts I have been having is that there is this expectation in some comrades with whom I have been talking, even from other nations, there is this expectation, but this is an eminently political decision (...) Also in this aspect I am sure that the Portuguese Armed Forces will be available for what our Government defines as a priority within the scope of its action in this mission," he concluded. Read Also: Early marriages. Mozambique reunited 150 minors in 3 months (Portuguese version)