Angolan govt pushes for peace negotiations in Mozambique, tells Dhlakama to appoint his team

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Angolan govt pushes for peace negotiations in Mozambique, tells Dhlakama to appoint his team

11:46 CAT | 10 May 2016

Angolan foreign minister Georges Chikoti lent his weight yesterday to negotiation as the solution to the political and military crisis in Mozambique, urging Renamo, Mozambique’s main opposition party, to accept the government’s invitation to talk.

“The problem in Mozambique concerns everyone, particularly in our [southern Africa] region. We have exchanged views with the Mozambican government, which so far seems to have presented a good option, which is negotiation,” Chikoti said at a press conference after a meeting with his Mozambican counterpart, Oldemiro Baloi.

The normalization of the political and military situation in Mozambique hinges on the leader of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), Afonso Dhlakama, accepting the invitation to talk.

“I think the Mozambican government has indicated the way forward for this negotiation. We expect Mr. Dhlakama to respond to the proposed formation of a technical team that the Government of Mozambique has indicated, and Renamo should indicate their technical team for the negotiations to begin,” Chikoti said.

Addressing the possibility of Angola taking a role in any possible resumption of negotiations in Mozambique, the Angolan foreign minister said that any such action would be depend on a request from the Mozambican authorities.

“Angola can only consolidate, support the initiative that the government of Mozambique has proposed and hope that this initiative will produce results. If there is anything more to be done, certainly the government of Mozambique, with whom we have good relations, will tell us what to do,” Chikoti said.

Mozambique has experienced an escalation of its long-running military crisis in recent months, with clashes between defence and security forces and armed Renamo men in the centre of the country, political assassinations and attacks attributed to the largest opposition party on sections of the country’s major highways.

Renamo refuses to accept the results of the 2014 general elections and demands the right to govern six provinces where it claims victory in the poll.

Source: Lusa