Two significant events for Mozambique and Italian Cooperation marked the mission of the Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), Marco Riccardo Rusconi, in Maputo: the inauguration of the new Sala de Situações (Operations Room) of CENOE, the heart of the national emergency management system, and the reopening of the Natural History Museum, renovated after two years of work.
The first event took place at the Centro Nacional Operativo de Emergência (CENOE), Mozambique’s key civil protection institution, as part of the Ready2Act program, supported by Italy with a contribution of 1.5 million euros. The project aims to strengthen Mozambique’s capacity to respond to natural disasters and humanitarian crises through training, equipment, and innovative monitoring and response systems.
The Italian Ambassador to Mozambique, Gabriele Annis, emphasized: “Mozambique is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in Africa. The new Sala de Situações, a result of cooperation between Mozambican institutions, the United Nations, and Italian Cooperation, represents a concrete step forward towards greater safety for the population and a more effective national response capacity.”
Director Rusconi added: “With this Operations Room, Mozambique now has a modern and effective tool to coordinate interventions in the event of climate and humanitarian emergencies. It is a result that confirms the centrality of resilience in the strategies of Italian Cooperation and our commitment alongside local institutions and communities.”
The second part of the mission saw the participation of the Ambassador and the Director at the reopening ceremony of the Natural History Museum of Maputo, in the presence of the Minister of Culture and Education, Samaria Tovela.
The project, financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through AICS with a contribution of 4.25 million euros under the RINO program and its COREBIOM component, has transformed the Museum into a modern center for research, education, and scientific outreach.
Ambassador Annis stated: “The Natural History Museum of Maputo is not only the guardian of extraordinary collections but today becomes a beacon of sustainability, education, and research. Thanks to the collaboration among universities, research centers, and civil society, it represents a bridge between past and future, between tradition and innovation, between Mozambique and the international scientific community.”
Rusconi added: “This Museum is not just an exhibition space, but a scientific and educational platform that will help protect and enhance Mozambique’s biodiversity. It is a concrete symbol of the partnership between our two countries and fits perfectly within the spirit of the Mattei Plan, which focuses on education and training as pillars of sustainable and shared development.”
