U.S. Africa Command in Mozambique: talks on counterterrorism and protecting the Afungi LNG site in Cabo Delgado

Senior U.S. Africa Command leaders are in Mozambique from 5 to 7 November 2026 for talks on counterterrorism, maritime security and the protection of the Afungi liquefied natural gas site in Cabo Delgado, according to a release from the command published through DVIDS on 6 November.

Who is in the delegation

The delegation is led by U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John W. Brennan, deputy commander of U.S. Africa Command, and Ambassador Peter Vrooman, the command’s deputy to the commander for civil-military engagement. They are joined by Abigail Dressel, chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Mozambique. Engagements are taking place in Maputo and in Afungi, and include meetings with senior Mozambican defence officials and energy-sector leaders. A photograph released with the statement shows the delegation at Mozambique’s Ministry of National Defence in Maputo on 5 November with Defence Minister Cristóvão Artur Chume.

What the command says it is pursuing

U.S. Africa Command says the visit is meant to advance bilateral counterterrorism, maritime security and defence-economic objectives, and describes the aim as directly securing the LNG facility in Cabo Delgado. It says a main focus is aligning security cooperation with the protection of critical infrastructure, arguing that private investors see less risk when host-nation forces train alongside U.S. troops. These are the command’s own descriptions of its purpose; the release does not give figures on the security situation in the province or on any new U.S. deployment.

Brennan is quoted as saying that “Fighting terrorism is not a fight that any one nation can win on their own”. The command says its partnership is aimed at helping Mozambican forces become operationally self-sufficient in securing their territory.

Training and exercises

The release points to Exercise Cutlass Express, which it says brings together more than 30 nations to train across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains. According to the command, it improves the ability of the Armed Forces for the Defence of Mozambique (FADM) to protect the country’s territory and the waters of the Mozambique Channel. It also lists Joint Combined Exchange Training and explosive ordnance disposal instruction among the cooperation under way, and quotes Brennan on using such activities to counter narcotics trafficking, disrupt illicit maritime activity and cut off extremist funding.

The statement does not mention any Mozambican government comment on the talks.

Source: U.S. Africa Command public affairs, via DVIDS, 6 November 2026 (dvidshub.net).