Rwanda To Establish Its First Permanent Overseas Military Base In Mozambique
Umoh Umoh
On September 25, 2025, a verified X handle claimed that there has been an agreement in place for Rwanda to establish a permanent military base in Mozambique. The post which had images of men in military camouflages in 4 frames is captioned:
“Rwanda 🇷🇼 to Establish First Permanent Overseas Military Base — in Mozambique 🇲🇿 In a landmark development, Rwanda is preparing to open its first permanent military base abroad in northern Mozambique’s conflict-ridden Cabo Delgado province. Rwandan forces have been active in Mozambique since 2021, deployed to combat an ISIS-linked insurgency that has devastated the resource-rich region. Their presence has been widely credited with stabilizing key districts and restoring a measure of security for civilians. Earlier this year, Kigali and Maputo signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) — a legal framework that formalizes the presence of Rwandan troops and grants them protected operational status in Mozambique. Analysts say the deal may pave the way for a permanent base, underscoring Rwanda’s growing role in African peace and security operations. If confirmed, the move will mark a historic first for Rwanda’s defense strategy, signaling both its military ambitions and its deepening security partnership with Mozambique. © African Era News”
When this report was published, there were over 5,900 views and about 230 replies, reposts, quotes, likes and bookmarks on the claim. In the comment section, @UnathiAfrika said “What I'm hearing is that Rwanda is just a front for a US military base in East Africa. Why the hell would an African country want a military base in another African country?” while @DenisMussa wrote “Big mistake from Mozambique to accept Kagame army Regional powers (South África/Angola) why accept Kagame army in region??!This man will bring problema from Great Lakes for southern Africa”
VERIFICATION
Since July 2021, Rwanda has been deploying troops and police to Cabo Delgado province and other nearby areas to assist Mozambique’s government in counter-terrorism operations against Islamist insurgency.
On August 27, 2025, Rwanda and Mozambique officially signed a Status of Forces Agreement, SOFA. This agreement formalises the legal status of the Rwandan forces deployed in Mozambique. This agreement covers issues such as jurisdiction (what happens if a Rwandan soldier commits an offence in Mozambique), immunities, administrative details, and regulation of bases.
SOFA is a strong step, but not the same as formally establishing a base. The SOFA gives legal recognition to the presence, helps define how operations are regulated, etc. The Mozambique Times reports that this agreement however does not “grant foreign forces the right of presence but instead regulates their operations once a legal basis for their deployment has been established.
Though reports mention that a social media account “floated the idea” of Rwanda establishing a “permanent base” in Mozambique, official sources have not confirmed this. A look into the Rwandan and Mozambique government handle showed no confirmation that the two countries agreed on building a permanent military base.
Finally, NV-A conducted a reverse Google Image search on the different images that were collaged together and the result reveals that these are Rwandan troops that left for Mozambique in 2021, 2023 and January 2025.
CONCLUSION
The claim that Rwanda is set to establish its first military base in Mozambique is MISLEADING. The SOFA agreement gives legal recognition to the presence of Rwandan forces in Mozambique and helps define how operations are regulated, but the agreement does not grant Rwanda the rights to build or control a permanently staffed base in Mozambique.
