Mozambique and Malawi: A difficult relationship

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Mozambique and Malawi: A difficult relationship

12:36 CAT | 14 Mar 2016

The position of the Malawian government in relation to Mozambican refugees in its territory has not been clear, a situation frustrating to the Mozambican authorities, who believe that many of the people involved are somehow connected to Renamo.

Hundreds of people have moved from the border region of Nkondezi in the central province of Tete to Malawi, either as a result of political and military instability or because of drought or other natural disasters.

Given the acknowledged movement of Renamo and government defence and security forces in the area, it is probable that some people have been frightened into seeking refuge in Malawi.

For sociologist Rogério Sitoi, it is problematic to say that all the people who have crossed the border are from Renamo. Sitoi said they could be “people who are sympathizers of Frelimo or who are not supporters of either side, but who have fled to Malawi for other reasons”.

He said that it has always been difficult to characterize relations between Mozambique and Malawi, which have “always been murky”.

Relations were bad during the government of Kamuzu Banda because of his strong relations with the apartheid regime in South Africa, Sitoi said. In the 1980s, former president of Mozambique Samora Machel even threatened to bomb Malawi.

Relations between Mozambique and Malawi improved during the presidency of Joaquim Chissano, but have deteriorated in the last 10 years, partially over the issue of navigation in the Shire river.

However, Sitoi, who is knowledgeable about Malawian affairs, does not believe that the government of Malawi is officially sheltering Renamo guerrillas.

Sitoi suspects that “the hawks of the party of power see this as a chance to bait a traditional enemy and possibly allow people from Renamo to remain and circulate within Malawi”, but that this should not be enough to jeopardize relations between the two countries.

He believes the Mozambican foreign minister, who, speaking in parliament, said that the Mozambican government “is trying to deal with this problem with the necessary caution, so that neither side takes up extreme positions”.

Sitoi says it would be a tremendous mistake from a strategic point of view if the Mozambican government, instead of maintaining relations with Malawi, were to take up a more extreme position.

Political scientist Lazaro Mabunda likewise says that Mozambique and Malawi have mainly good relations interrupted by violent incidents, especially in the last 10 years.

Mabunda mentions the attacks by Malawian forces on Mozambican migration service staff and the detention of Malawian personnel navigating the Shire river, and the rejection by Mozambique of the Malawian government’s plan to build a port on the river.

One analyst said that the issue of Mozambican refugees in Malawi has the potential to create diplomatic incidents between the two countries, taking into account what Malawian officials has said on this subject.

Source: VOA Portugues