Peace, but not at any price – Nyusi in Beira

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Peace, but not at any price – Nyusi in Beira

4:20 CAT | 26 Aug 2016

File photo / President Filipe Nyusi

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Thursday rejected the successive demands that the Renamo rebels have been placing on the dialogue table as conditions for the cessation of military hostilities.

Speaking at a press conference in Beira, at the end of a working visit to the central province of Sofala, Nyusi warned that real peace cannot be bought “at any price”.

On the contrary, real peace must be reached in a sustainable manner, and not in an “emotional” burst that ignores the Mozambican constitution.

“We have to find a solution that is sustainable and viable”, said the President. “Not one that rips up the Constitution, or overthrows the democracy that is a reality in this country”.

He noted that there have been peace agreements before, but “they did not bring effective peace”. Indeed, the only peace agreement that had proved lasting was the agreement on Mozambican independence signed between the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) and the Portuguese government in 1974.

There have been two agreements between the government and Renamo. The first was the General Peace Accord of 4 October 1992, and the second was the Agreement on a Cessation of Hostilities of 5 September 2014. Both these agreements foundered because Renamo violated them by keeping its own private militia, rather than demobilizing all its forces. That militia was sent back into action to resume the conflict in June 2013, and again in February of this year.

Nyusi said that Mozambique cannot just carry on signing agreements on the same subject, but must bring it to a definitive conclusion.

“We must continue to be a serious and determined people”, he said, “a people that cannot be manipulated. That is the effort that we are making”.

The latest Renamo demand, which has sabotaged plans put forward by international mediators for a truce, is that the defence and security forces should withdraw from the positions they currently hold in Gorongosa, near the Renamo headquarters where rebel leader Afonso Dhlakama is currently living.

“Where should we withdraw to?”, mused Nyusi. “That’s the problem. Because the Renamo attacks are now coming in Maua (in Niassa province), they’re coming in Morrumbala (in Zambezia), so where do we withdraw to?”

During all the rallies Nyusi had addressed in Sofala, his audience had called for continued dialogue with Renamo to re-establish peace as quickly as possible. “We would like peace to come tomorrow, or today, or even yesterday”, he said. “But what we are doing is shortening the waiting time, because the people cannot continue dying, without hope”.

Nyusi said there was no alternative but to work for peace, and he assured the reporters that the government is doing all in its power to restore peace as quickly as possible.

He pointed out that coexistence with opposition parties is quite possible and cited the example of Beira municipality, which is currently run by the second largest opposition party, the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM). MDM leader Daviz Simango is Mayor of Beira and has a cordial relationship with Nyusi.

“As you know, Beira is led by the opposition”, he said, “but the environment here is totally democratic. It’s an environment that encourages Mozambicans to work together”.

Beira was living proof that there was no need for Mozambicans to fight each other, Nyusi added, “because there is space for all of us to work”.

Source: AIM