Japan maintains cooperation with Mozambique but calls for stability and dialogue – Observer

The Japanese Government, one of the main financiers of projects in Mozambique, assured this Friday that it will maintain cooperation with the country, asking the Mozambican executive to quickly stabilize security and “dialogue” between all parties.

“Japan intends to continue cooperation with Mozambique for the prosperity of the people of both countries, based on long-standing friendship”, says a statement by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kitamura Toshihiro, cited in a statement released by Japanese embassy in Maputo.

“Japan hopes that the new Government of Mozambique will guarantee a stable security situation as soon as possible and further promote democratic politics, promoting dialogue between all interested parties”, adds, regarding the inauguration, on Wednesday, of Daniel Chapo as the fifth President of Mozambique.

The process surrounding the general elections on October 9 was marked by consecutive demonstrations called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who did not recognize the results, which degenerated into violence, looting and destruction of public and private infrastructure, with more than 300 deaths recorded. and over 600 people shot.

Japan previously announced that it will donate more than 50 million euros to projects in Mozambiqueaccording to agreements signed in March 2024 in Maputo, the first country to implement the new model of international cooperation defined by the Japanese Government.

“This cooperation, in which projects in different domains are implemented in the form of a package, was presented in the new Development Cooperation Charter approved by the Council of Ministers last year. Mozambique will be the first country where the Japanese Government will implement this new form of cooperation”, announced the Japanese ambassador in Maputo, Hamada Keiji, at the time.

The Mozambican Government and representatives of Japan, including Ambassador Hamada Keiji, signed on the same occasion three donation agreements in the form of an “exchange of notes”, which establish the supply of vehicles to the police forces of Mozambique and to improve the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgadoas well as the Nacala power plant project, totaling 55.1 million dollars (53.5 million euros).

“The province of Cabo Delgado, which is the target of the projects signed this Friday, has one of the largest LNG development projects [Gás Natural Liquefeito] on the African continent, in which Japanese companies are also investing. The project will contribute to the stability and growth of Mozambique and, by extension, to the stable supply of energy to Japan and the world. Therefore, improving security in Cabo Delgado is one of the most important challenges, not only for Mozambique, but also for the world”, emphasized the Japanese ambassador.

The project to supply vehicles for the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) and the National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) was budgeted at US$2.51 million and will “increase the capacity of the police forces in Cabo Delgado”, north of the country, “to combat terrorism”, explained the Japanese Embassy.

Regarding the Nacala Power Plant project, whose first financing agreement was signed in 2019, an addendum was initialed at the same time, worth 45.9 million dollars, financed by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which “ will help bridge the short-term deficit between electricity supply and demand” in the country, in addition to “stabilizing its supply in the Nacala corridor region”.

The third agreement, worth US$6.68 million, will allow the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (ONUDC) to provide “more comprehensive support to improve the capacity of law enforcement and investigative authorities” in prevention, investigation, prosecution and prosecution of terrorism crimes on land and at sea.