Nyusi waiting for answers from Renamo on peace

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Nyusi waiting for answers from Renamo on peace

7:07 CAT | 22 Jun 2018

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi declared on Thursday that he is still waiting for Renamo to respond on the key issues of demobilising and disarming its militia.

Speaking at a rally in the Mongue administrative post, in Milange district, at the end of a four day working visit to the central province of Zambezia, Nyusi said “I am still waiting for them (Renamo) so that we can close the peace process”.

Since the unexpected death of Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama on 3 May, there had been no signs of advance in the talks between the government and Renamo on military issues – even though Nyusi said he has shared with the new leadership of Renamo the principles that he had agreed with Dhlakama.

“I have already shared all the information, and I am waiting, because effective peace is urgent”, stressed Nyusi. “I am available today, tomorrow – so that we can close the process, because there’s not much left to do. Everything depends on the talks between us”.

The demilitarisation of Renamo involves demobilising and disarming its militia, and incorporating its members either into the defence and security forces, or back into civiliamn life.

Nyusi urged his audience to cultivate peace through reconciliation. Members of the Renamo militia “are not from another world”, he said. “They’re from this country and we have to live with them in a climate of peace”.

Nyusi was pleased that Zambezia shows signs of guaranteeing self-sufficiency in food. In all the districts he toured in his four day working visit to the province he had seen signs of strong production of grain.

All the district administrators had assured him “we have produced enough. There is food for all of us”.

Nyusi thanked the population of Zambezia for their hard work, but noted that the yields from their farms are far below what would be desirable”.

“You’re harvesting a tonne of maize or a tonne and a half of rice per hectare”, he said. “That’s very little. There are provinces where they take three or four tonnes of maize, or even five tonnes of rice from a hectare, because they are complying with the recommendations given by agricultural extensionists”.

He also advised his audience to improve their dietary habits in order to combat malnutrition, particularly among children. “We’re going to produce, but we must also eat properly, by diversifying our diet”, he said.

Source: AIM