Nyusi insists on need for “effective peace”

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Nyusi insists on need for “effective peace”

9:33 CAT | 05 Oct 2017

Notícias

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi declared on Wednesday that war “is a very outdated way of living”, and stressed that “living in peace means building a nation and a future”.

“The dream of the country’s children is stability and a lasting peace”, he said, addressing a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the peace agreement between the government and the Renamo, signed in Rome on 4 October 1992 by the then President, Joaquim Chissano, and by Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama.

Nyusi was speaking after he laid a wreath at Maputo’s Monument to the Mozambican Heroes where several of those who laid down their lives for the country are buried, including the founder of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), Eduardo Mondlane, and the country’s first President, Samora Machel.

He told the crowd that significant steps towards an effective peace have already been taken in the contacts he has held with Dhlakama, and he pledged that these would be made public in due course.

A truce, declared by Dhlakama in late December 2016, is holding, and this year there have been no Renamo ambushes on the roads, and no clashes between the defence and security forces and Renamo gunmen.

The key points under discussion with Renamo are changing the constitution to allow the direct election of provincial governors (who are currently appointed by the President) and giving senior positions in the armed forces and police to Renamo in exchange for the disarming and demobilisation of the Renamo militia. But no further details of the talks have been made public.

“Peace is the greatest gain made by Mozambicans”, declared Nyusi. “It is one of the most noble values of our national independence”.

Today’s commemorations, he said, should be a moment to revive the spirit of the 1992 peace accord, to assess its content and implementation in order to ensure the success of the current dialogue.

He announced that on Tuesday he had held another phone conversation with Dhlakama, to give him advance greetings for the anniversary. Nyusi added that the two of them maintained the consensus that they should continue working to ensure peace.

He recalled that the country had recently lived through threats to peace (clearly referring to the low-level Renamo insurrection of 2016). These events had recalled the wounds of the past and had threatened to open new ruptures in the relationship between Mozambicans.

“The people are unanimously reaffirming that the continuing peace is of sacred and inalienable value”, said Nyusi. “So we are doing everything within our power, and we shall maintain this determination until we obtain an effective and definitive peace. It’s the sole alternative for the development of Mozambique”.

Source: Notícias