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Initially, the contingent numbered around one thousand soldiers and police officers, but this has reportedly grown to about five thousand.
Mozambique, Rwanda sign Status of Forces agreement 4 years after first troop deployment
Mozambique and Rwanda signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) on Wednesday in Kigali, establishing the legal framework for the Rwandan troops deployed to support counter-terrorism operations in Cabo Delgado, the office of President Daniel Chapo announced in a statement.
The agreement was signed by the defence ministers of the two countries, Juvenal Marizamunda of Rwanda and Cristóvão Chume of Mozambique, during President Chapo’s working visit to Rwanda, which began on Wednesday. The Head of State is accompanied by ministers from key sectors of his government, including Defence, Finance, Foreign Affairs, and Development.
This is the first time the signing of a SOFA has been publicly announced to regulate the operations of Rwandan forces in Mozambique, who were first deployed to Cabo Delgado in July 2021. Initially, the contingent numbered around one thousand soldiers and police officers, but this has reportedly grown to about five thousand.
A SOFA governs issues such as privileges and immunities, jurisdiction over offences committed by military personnel, customs duties, and administrative arrangements for bases. It does not grant foreign forces the right of presence but instead regulates their operations once a legal basis for their deployment has been established.
The absence of a SOFA for more than four years of Rwandan military presence in Cabo Delgado – and in Nampula, where Mozambican Defence Forces receive training – exposes the secrecy surrounding the original agreement. Signed under former President Filipe Nyusi, the arrangement was never submitted to Parliament for ratification, and essential details, such as the duration of the deployment and terms of its renewal, remain undisclosed.
Rwandan media cite President Paul Kagame as stressing that it is Africa’s mission to fight jihadist insurgencies on the continent, warning that outsourcing this responsibility to external actors would not build lasting peace or development. The stance reinforces Rwanda’s projection as a continental military power.
The Status of Forces Agreement comes as insurgents linked to the Islamic State continue to stage attacks. On Monday 25 August, jihadist militants captured and killed two men in Uvilili village, about 30 kilometres south of TotalEnergies’ Afungi camp in Palma district.
The renewed wave of attacks has prompted TotalEnergies to tighten security, instructing subcontractors to keep their staff within the camp perimeter. Mozambique’s Defence and Security Forces have deployed troops to the area, but Monday’s assault demonstrates that the insurgent threat remains active.
According to local sources, the victims from Uvilili were found in the nearby bush while carrying out routine farming activities. The Islamic State claimed responsibility on Tuesday, stating via its propaganda channels that “caliphate soldiers captured and killed three Christians”. Unlike on previous occasions, the group did not publish images. There is no evidence that the victims were, in fact, Christians. Such claims form part of IS propaganda portraying itself as sparing Muslims.
“It is true they killed two people. The insurgents encountered them in the bush, while many others remained in the village, which is not far from the spot,” a local resident told MOZTIMES.
Another resident said the area where the victims were killed is a known insurgent corridor. “That forest has always been a preferred route for insurgents. They use it to reach the coast to collect fish and, on their return, pass through the same path inland.”
Since August, insurgents have carried out raids on several Palma villages, including Maputo, Mute, Maganja and Pundanhar, targeting both civilians and military positions.
Also on Monday, insurgents killed four civilians in the village of Mapate, Muidumbe district, Cabo Delgado.
Between 20 July and 3 August 2025, intensified attacks by non-state armed groups in Muidumbe, Ancuabe and Chiure displaced about 57 000 people (13 300 families).
Written by The Mozambique Times and republished with permission.
The original article ‘Mozambique and Rwanda Sign SOFA Four Years after First Troop Deployment to Cabo Delgado’ can be found here.
The original article ‘Insurgents Kill Civilians in New Attack Near TotalEnergies Camp’ can be found here.