Mozambique to attend Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting in Tanzania
O País
President Filipe Nyusi made a positive assessment of the temporary ceasefire in the country following another telephone conversation held yesterday with the Renamo leader and passed to Afonso Dhlakama the confirmation of a possible extension of the truce.
“He [Dhlakama] will announce, because the government’s side is not making any attacks,” Filus Nyusi told reporters in Maputo at the Ponta Vermelha palace, the official residence of the head of state, about the possibility of an extension of the deadline of the cessation of hostilities .
The O País newspaper and the electronic daily Mediafax yesterday reported that the temporary agreement to end hostilities, which expires on Wednesday “January 4), will be extended for another two months.
Contacted by Lusa, the spokesman for the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), António Muchanga, declined to confirm the news, only referring to a press statement for Tuesday morning at the party’s national headquarters in Maputo.
The Mozambican president stressed the trust “that is being created and built and will be productive,” urging society to “believe and encourage people to talk.”
Filipe Nyusi made a positive assessment of the week of truce agreed between the parties in the conversation held yesterday with the opposition leader and stressed that these are “Mozambicans who are discussing Mozambique’s problems”, in a negotiated perspective and without ultimatums.
According to O País, the new truce should last until the first session of the Assembly of the Republic, where possible agreements reached in the current peace negotiations should be discussed and approved.
Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama on Tuesday announced a one-week truce, effective as of Wednesday, as a “gesture of goodwill”, following a telephone conversation held the day before with the Mozambican President .
Justifying this decision, Renamo leader said that he intends to end the suffering of the population and facilitate the resumption of peace negotiations.
“If everything goes well without incident, why not extend this deadline?” the opposition leader said, admitting the possibility of a definitive ceasefire.
Dhlakama said he has held talks with Nyusi aimed at “building confidence” but will not give in to the continuation of international mediators in the peace talks.
In his State of the Nation Address, the Mozambican President said that he proposed to Renamo that a working group “without political distinction” or the presence of the current group of mediators should be established to discuss the decentralisation package, within the peace negotiations.
The work of the Joint Commission of the Government and Renamo delegations stopped in mid-December without agreement on the decentralisation package and the mediators left Maputo, saying that they will only return if called by the parties.
Central and northern Mozambique are being plagued by military violence, following Renamo’s refusal to accept the results of the 2014 general election, demanding to rule in six provinces where it claims victory in the ballot.
In addition to the decentralisation package and the cessation of clashes, the agenda of the negotiation process integrates the depoliticization of the Defence and Security Forces and the disarmament of the armed wing of the opposition and their reintegration into civilian life.
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