Mozambique and Russia have deepened their defense partnership during high-level talks in Moscow this week, even as the African nation’s top diplomat called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. Mozambican Foreign Minister Maria Manuela Lucas met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, reaffirming strategic ties amid shared concerns over regional security and the global fallout from the war in Eastern Europe.
Lucas acknowledged Mozambique’s close monitoring of the Ukraine crisis, emphasizing her government’s preference for diplomacy. “We would very much like for this matter to be resolved in a peaceful way,” she stated, while commending the Russian people’s “resilience” amid prolonged international sanctions. The minister also highlighted broader consequences of the conflict, noting its destabilizing effects on food security across Africa—a region already grappling with disrupted grain exports and rising prices linked to the war.
Her remarks came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced plans for renewed negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, slated for Wednesday. Lucas expressed hope that the talks would yield progress, underscoring the interconnectedness of global stability.
The Moscow meeting allowed Lavrov to outline Russia’s expanding security role in southern Africa. He pledged continued defense support to Mozambique, specifically to bolster counterterrorism operations against a persistent jihadist insurgency in the country’s northern Cabo Delgado province. “We stand ready to consider all requests to strengthen Mozambique’s defense capabilities,” Lavrov said, citing ongoing militant threats in the region. The collaboration builds on years of growing military cooperation, including Mozambique’s 2019 contract with Russia’s Wagner Group—a paramilitary force linked to the Kremlin—to combat extremist violence.
A 2020 intelligence assessment from Germany had previously alleged Russian ambitions to establish a military base in Mozambique, though neither government has confirmed such plans. Analysts suggest the partnership reflects Moscow’s broader strategy to cement influence in resource-rich African nations, often through security agreements and private military contractors.
The dialogue in Moscow underscores the complex diplomatic balancing act faced by African states navigating ties with global powers. While Mozambique seeks to strengthen its security infrastructure, it joins other nations in the Global South expressing unease over how prolonged conflict in Ukraine exacerbates economic vulnerabilities. With Russia positioning itself as a counterterrorism ally and Western attention divided by the Ukraine war, the outcomes of such partnerships could reshape regional power dynamics in the years ahead.
Additional reporting by Associated Press.
