Mozambique’s deputy defence minister confident peace talks will continue

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Mozambique’s deputy defence minister confident peace talks will continue

8:38 CAT | 29 Jul 2016

AIM (File photo) / Deputy defence minister Patrício José

Mozambique’s Deputy Minister of Defence, Patricio Jose, has said that he is confident that the interruption in the country’s political dialogue due to the temporary return home of international mediators will not have a negative impact on the talks. He added that the defence and security forces are open to implementing a ceasefire at any time should armed men from the opposition party Renamo halt their violent campaign.

Speaking on Thursday on the margins of the annual meeting on military health care, he told the daily newspaper “O Pais” that, “we have to have faith that the political dialogue is being carried out with total sincerity and that the Joint Commission is working to ensure that there will be lasting peace”.

He acknowledged that the preparatory work and analysis of one aspect or another may take some time, but argued that the government is doing all it can to ensure that effective peace returns to the country “as soon as possible”.

On Wednesday, the international mediators assisting with the dialogue between the government and Renamo announced that they were leaving the country. However, they are due to return on 8 August.

The mediators are assisting the Joint Commission, composed of six representatives from the government and six from Renamo, in its discussions about creating the necessary climate for a meeting between President Filipe Nyusi and Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama.

However, the dialogue did not get past the first issue on the agenda, which was the demand by Renamo that it takes power in the provinces where it claims to have won the 2014 elections. Mozambique has eleven provinces and Renamo wishes to rule over the central and northern provinces of Manica, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia, Nampula, and Niassa.

Meanwhile, Renamo has continued to ambush cars, trucks, and trains in the centre of the country. Thus, Patricio Jose explained that despite their readiness to implement a ceasefire, the defence and security forces remain on the ground to ensure order and safety. He added, “on the day that the attacks stop, the defence and security forces will return to their barracks”.

The director of military health care, Dr Agueda Duarte, also spoke to reporters. She said that there are many challenges facing the sector including the need to “improve the health infrastructure and the management of medicines, and combat endemic diseases such as HIV/AIDS”.

Source: AIM