Truce not addressed on “merely preparatory” meeting: Govt and Renamo to meet again on Monday

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Truce not addressed on “merely preparatory” meeting: Govt and Renamo to meet again on Monday

12:36 CAT | 26 May 2016

Lusa / The government (L) and Renamo (R) teams for the preparation of a Nyusi-Dhlakama meeting photographed yesterday in Maputo

The Mozambican government and Renamo delegations who held their first meeting in Maputo yesterday, declared that it was only preparatory and announced another meeting on Monday.

Jacinto Veloso for the government and Andre Majibire for Renamo said at the end of the meeting that on Monday they would begin to address the content of the agenda for a high-level meeting aimed at restoring peace in Mozambique.

“It was a preparatory meeting to exchange ideas on the issues to be discussed in the preparation of the meeting, which we hope will take place soon, between the President and the President of Renamo, in order to find a solution for peace and national reconciliation,” Veloso said, adding that discussions had been conducted in a “very friendly manner”.

Majibire, for Renamo, said that the first round served to “devise a work methodology” for the dialogue sessions, in which they hoped to agree on an agenda and terms of reference for the meeting between the head of state Filipe Nyusi and Renamo president Afonso Dhlakama.

“We have a mandate to prepare an agenda and terms of reference which will be sent to the highest level, which is why we say that we had only a preparatory meeting,” the Renamo representative explained.

Present at the joint committee meeting yesterday were National Defence and Security Council member and Frelimo veteran Jacinto Veloso, presidential advisor and former Minister of Justice Benvinda Levy, and presidency official Álvaro Muteque.

Renamo deputy Eduardo Namburete was absent from yesterday’s meeting, so the party was represented by José Manteigas and André Majibire.

Negotiations between the Mozambican government and Renamo have been stalled for several months after the opposition party withdrew citing lack of progress and a perceived lack of sincerity on the government’s part.

Despite the start of talks, last week was marked by several military actions attributed by the authorities to Renamo, including attacks on civilian vehicles and the murder of local administrators.

But recent days have also been marked by what the opposition party regards as intimidation against its members or against free speech in Mozambique, as well as complaints by Renamo of a military build-up near Afonso Dhlakama’s residence in the Gorongosa mountains.

Arriving home in Maputo from his visit to China on Sunday, President Nyusi said he felt that dialogue should be accompanied by a cessation of Renamo military actions.

However, André Majibire told the press that yesterday’s meeting had not addressed the matter of a truce.

“That is part of the substance we will be addressing from Monday,” he said.

Source: Lusa