The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the European Union (EU) on November 18, 2024 will meet in a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, to approve a grant of 20 million Euros (29 billion Frw) for the Armed Forces Rwanda is working to restore peace in Cabo Delgado Province in Mozambique.
It was in March 2024 that it became known that the EU plans to give the Rwandan Army this money through its program to support peace and security operations around the world.
Countries including France and Italy supported Rwanda's Armed Forces receiving this funding, due to the fact that another 20 million Euros earmarked for December 2022 were well spent, but Belgium was the first to protest.
The newspaper Jeune Afrique reported that Belgium requested that this money not be sent through the Ministry of Finance and Planning in Rwanda, but that a third party should be sent through it, but this Organization refused because it saw that it would be difficult and fraudulent.
The Belgian government has rejected the Rwandan army receiving additional funding, based on accusations that it is helping the armed group M23 in the DRC. The Rwandan government has criticized it many times, explaining that it is baseless. In October 2024 he passed away, accepting the offer.
Two guidelines were set for the use of this aid when the Rwandan Army was given it, including that it should not leave the site where it was deployed (Cabo Delgado) to go elsewhere, and that it should not be used to buy deadly weapons.
The EU asked its embassies in Kigali and Maputo to inform the authorities that this aid is about to be approved.
The government of the RDC was about to announce this program using the allegations that Rwanda is helping M23 and it was also reported.
The Rwandan army has been operating in Cabo Delgado since July 2021.
Its operations have been characterized by suppressing the terrorist group Ansar al Sunnah, repatriating the people who had fled and joining the people in the communities.
They work closely with the EU Mission deployed on the basis of the EU's agreement with Mozambique.
