Mozambique peace agreement signed, paves way for elections

The government of Mozambique and the Mozambican National Resistance, the armed opposition group known as Renamo, on Tuesday signed a peace agreement ending six years of war.

The deal was signed between Filipe Nyusi, the president of Mozambique and Ossufo Momade, the leader of Renamo in Maputo's Peace Square. The ceremony was witnessed by former presidents and several African leaders.

The pact, a result of three years of negotiations, is expected to end hostilities between the Mozambican Defense and Security Forces and Renamo, which formerly waged a civil war from 1975 to 1992.

Signed two months ahead of the national and provincial elections, the agreement allows Renamo to participate in the provincial election scheduled for Oct 15.

It also includes constitutional changes and disarmament of more than 5,000 Renamo rebels, some of whom will be integrated into the army or police.

"With this agreement we are saying that we may disagree, but we always use dialogue to settle our differences. Never again should election results dictate the state of peace in Mozambique," Nyusi said, according to a report from Agence France-Presse.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairman of the African Union Commission, welcomed the signing of the peace agreement, which he termed as a historic milestone toward silencing the guns in the country.

Mahamat reiterated the AU's commitment to support the peace process and the government's efforts toward development. "We look forward to deploying election observers to monitor and generally support the electoral process in the country in October," he said.

Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, said the pact will pave way for peaceful election in the country.

"The Peace Accord and visit at the peace deal signing, presents an opportunity for South Africa to cement its support for peace and reconciliation in Mozambique," he said.

Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, said the peace deal brings promise for an end to decades of conflicts and uncertainty as well as renewal of national unity and cohesion.

"Even if previous efforts have not succeeded, it's always never a waste of time, to give a shot at peace, one more time. These achievements matter to all of us in Africa and show that we can find solutions to our problems, no matter how protracted and difficult," he said.

Kagame said dialogue and inclusion cannot be imposed from anywhere else and once consensus is reached, it can only be sustained from within.

Mozambique has deposits of coal, graphite, iron ore, titanium, apatite, marble, bentonite, bauxite, kaolin, copper, gold, rubies, and tantalum. The country's mineral potential is largely untapped.

Renamo first signed a peace agreement with the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique. or Frelimo, in 1992. It ended the civil war that broke in 1975 after Mozambique gained independence from Portugal. More than 1 million people died in the ensuing war. Renamo participated in multiparty elections in 1994.

However, Renamo abandoned the peace treaty in October 2013 after the government troops attacked its base, where its decadeslong leader, Afonso Dhlakama, was staying. A truce was signed in late 2016, but the violence has erupted ever since.