The Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, has pledged to support Mozambique in its fight against terrorism.
Kishida made the remarks while visiting the country as part of a four-country African tour. He had also visited Ghana, Kenya, and Egypt.
Kishida said that Japan would be prepared to help fund counter-terrorist activities in Cabo Delgado province in the north of the country. That part of Mozambique has been plagued for some years by an Islamic insurgency which has resulted in large number of refugees, and has severely hampered economic activity.
Kishida said that the support would be financial, adding that ‘security is crucial for the operation of Japanese companies in northern Mozambique.’
Mitsui, a Japanese firm, has a 20% stake in a multi-billion dollar project gas project behind the French firm TotalEnergies. This project has been delayed since 2021 because of insurgency attacks.
Japan is a major importer of Liquified Natural Gas.