Mozambique: No lasting peace ‘without equal opportunities’ – Pope Francis

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Mozambique: No lasting peace ‘without equal opportunities’ – Pope Francis

4:36 CAT | 05 Sep 2019

Photo: Lusa

Pope Francis said on Thursday during his first speech in Mozambique that there is no lasting peace “without equal opportunities”.

“As we know, peace is not merely absence of war but a tireless commitment – especially on the part of those of us charged with greater responsibility – to recognise, protect and concretely restore the dignity, so often overlooked or ignored, of our brothers and sisters, so that they can see themselves as the principal protagonists of the destiny of their nation,”said the Pope, adding:”Nor can we neglect the fact that “without equal opportunities, the different forms of aggression and conflict will find a fertile terrain for growth and eventually explode’.”

“When a society – whether local, national or global – is willing to leave part of itself on the fringes, no political programs or resources spent on law enforcement or surveillance systems can indefinitely guarantee tranquillity,” he said in the presidential palace of Ponta Vermelha, where he was received by Mozambique’s president, Filipe Nyusi.

ALSO READ: Pope Francis’ full speech at Ponta Vermelha, Mozambique – Watch

The government and the opposition Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) signed a new peace agreement on Aug. 6, the country’s third.

“We are here with my brother Ossufo Momade, who I ask to stand up”, as well as “with Daviz Simango”, said the head of state, to a round of applause in the hall.

“I mentioned these two because they are the ones who represent our parliament, but we have a lot more [political figures] who are here,” Nyusi said.

The Mozambican President greeted the opposition figures, defending a culture of “non-violence” in which politics “is made with the force of arguments and not by the force of arms”.

Source: Lusa