Rwanda extends military mandate in Mozambique's troubled north
The deal was announced on Wednesday during a meeting between Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Mozambique's Daniel Chapo, elected in October 2024.
Rwanda has formalised its continued military presence in northern Mozambique after Kigali and Maputo signed a new status of forces agreement extending the mandate of Rwandan troops in Cabo Delgado.
Since mid-2021, around 1,000 Rwandan Defence Force soldiers and police have been deployed to help Mozambique contain an Islamic State–linked insurgency that has upended the gas-rich province.
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The deal was announced on Wednesday during a meeting between Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Mozambique's Daniel Chapo, elected in October 2024.
Chapo hailed Kigali's intervention for bringing a measure of calm. "Thanks to this cooperation, we can see peace returning to the region, despite sporadic attacks," he said.
Kagame used the occasion to press a broader message about African security self-reliance. "As Africans, we need to own and confront this problem as one continent," he argued.
"Outsourcing this responsibility to external actors will not build lasting peace or development."
The timing underscores Mozambique's dilemma. Though joint operations have reclaimed territory once controlled by insurgents, renewed attacks have displaced thousands, undermining attempts to restart TotalEnergies' $20 billion (Sh2.34 trillion) liquefied natural gas project near Palma.
The French energy giant suspended work in 2021 after ISIS overran the area.
Rwandan and Mozambican forces remain concentrated in the hardest-hit northern districts, guarding towns and infrastructure around Palma and the massive LNG site.
Yet the violence continues to disrupt communities and deter investors.
Cabo Delgado has been plagued by insurgency since 2017, with ISIS exploiting local grievances and weak governance to entrench itself.
For Kigali, the extension burnishes its credentials as Africa's de facto 'policeman', already visible in Central Africa and now further afield.
For Maputo, Rwandan boots on the ground remain indispensable as it struggles to project authority over its northern periphery.
But with attacks rising and displacement swelling, questions remain over whether the new agreement will translate into durable stability or prolong a fragile status quo.
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