BBC HARDtalk with Armando Guebuza, President of Mozambique

Peace and security was one of the topics discussed at the US-Africa summit in Washington. Mozambique is one African country that suffered a long and brutal civil war - it ended more than 20 years ago when the ruling Frelimo party signed an accord with the rebel Renamo movement. But now Renamo guerrillas have gone back into the bush. Zeinab Badawi speaks to Armando Guebuza, president of Mozambique. Is his country in danger of slipping back into conflict?

Only with ceasefire

The Renamo leaders advise their leader Dhlakama not leave Mount Gorongosa, before the signing of the ceasefire agreement, ie, the final agreement, even after three memoranda have been initialed and the approval by parliament and subsequent promulgation of the amnesty law by the President. According to the weekly Savana, in its issue of Friday, Dhlakama says "just missing the declaration of ceasefire. Let it clear in Tuesday and Wednesday shows. I know people want to see the handshake (with Guebuza) but for security reasons I can not go sign this statement. In my name signs Macuiane. It is true that with the amnesty now they can not arrest me, but I can be killed, as happens in the world. I'm not afraid but my party is advising me and that's how I proceed ".However point in the interview that Savannah Monday (18) may leave Mount Gorongosa to a location not yet confirmed by him, but according to a source Renamo claims to be in contact in Nampula.

NO EBOLA IN MOZAMBIQUE, SAYS HEALTH MINISTRY

The Mozambican Health Ministry on Thursday denied reports circulating on Facebook and other social media according to which two patients suffering from the deadly hemorrhagic fever Ebola were admitted on Wednesday to Maputo Central Hospital.“I would like to reassure all our users that fortunately so far we have had no cases reported in the central hospital”, the hospital’s director, Joao Fumane told a press conference. “I would like to add that we are prepared so that, if a case does appear, we shall identify it and guarantee that the disease does not spread”.The Facebook message seen by AIM and MOZNews , also circulating as a mobile phone text message, said “the most alarming news has just arrived from Mozambique. The news that everybody prayed would never arrive…. Ebola is in Mozambique. 

Confirmed tonight (Wednesday) by Maputo Central Hospital, there are already two patients in quarantine because of the disease”.Since the Hospital is cited as the source of the report, and has roundly denied saying anything of the sort, it can only be concluded that the anonymous message is a malicious attempt to spread fear and panic.For his part, the national director of public health, Francisco Mbofana, told reporters that efforts are being redoubled, in light of the recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO), to ensure that people suffering from Ebola do not enter Mozambique. “We have set up a national coordinating team”, he said. “Apart from state institutions, the team also involves NGOs”. Mbofana explained that all entry points to the country are being controlled, with particular stress on the airports. “We have health workers throughout the country guaranteeing that the people who enter Mozambique have not been in contact with those suffering from this disease”, he added.The Ministry, he said, did not have the slightest interest in hiding any case of Ebola. “We have instructed all provinces to be on the alert”, he declared.

GUEBUZA PROMULGATES AMNESTY LAW

Mozambican President Armando Guebuza on Thursday promulgated the Amnesty Law passed on Tuesday by the country’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, and sent it to the official gazette, the “Boletim da Republica”, for immediate publication.The amnesty bill was proposed by Guebuza, as one of the guarantees of the agreement on a cessation of hostilities finalized on Monday by delegations of the government and of the former rebel movement Renamo.The Assembly amended the bill considerably. In its final version the law grants amnesty to all those involved in crimes against state security, military crimes, and crimes against persons and property committed in connection with security and military offences between March 2012 and the present. At Renamo’s insistence, the law also covers several other violent incidents all of which occurred in the central province of Sofala - in Savane in 2002, in Cheringoma in 2004, and in Maringue in 2011.The bill covers not only all Renamo gunmen, but also any policemen or soldiers who may have committed abuses during the recent fighting. The amnesty is worded broadly enough to cover not only armed rebellion, but also crimes of murder, arson, theft and illegal possession of firearms.

Yet, despite the amnesty, there is still no sign of Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama coming to Maputo to sign the formal document on the agreements reached with the government on Monday. The government insists that the final stamp of approval on the deal must be put by President Armando Guebuza and by Dhlakama. Renamo, however, says that Dhlakama has authorised Saimone Macuiana, the head of the Renamo delegation to the government-Renamo dialogue to sign on his behalf.Explaining his attitude in a telephone interview with the independent weekly “Savana”, Dhlakama said he could not come to the capital, because he feared he might be assassinated.

South Africans turn to humiliate

Today, to cross into South Africa, the South African authorities demanded 3000 rand each person (200USD). Users did not like, and then barricaded the crossing. Nobody crossed from 6 o'clock in the morning.'s A diplomatic issue. But lack of information. The Government may clarify prioximamente clarify. Recent information indicates that the border was open in the afternoon after Mozambican truckers blocked the main road and requiring every South African traveler metical 10,000 (national currency) that wish to enter into Mozambique.

Nampula and puts Nyussi Daviz in second round

If presidential elections were held now in the northern Mozambicans city of Nampula, the candidate of the ruling Frelimo Party, former defence minister Filipe Nyusi would win, with just over 41 per cent of the votes, according to an opinion poll undertaken by the Lurio University, and published in Wednesday’s issue of the independent daily “O Pais”.The poll was carried out from 30 July to 1 August by the university’s Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies. The pollsters interviewed 2,121 of Nampula’s 295,582 registered voters. Of the sample, 94.96 per cent said they would definitely vote in the elections scheduled for 15 October. 2.12 per cent said they would not vote, and 2.92 per cent had not decided.41.01 per cent of those who would definitely vote opted for Nyusi. 28.16 per cent said they would vote for the leader of the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), Daviz Simango, but only 10.57 per cent said they supported Afonso Dhlakama, leader of the former rebel movement Renamo. 2.12 per cent named other people (though in fact the only candidates whose nominations have been accepted are Nyusi, Simango and Dhlakama).1.54 per cent said they did not know who they would vote for, and 16.57 per cent refused to answer the question.

The results were similar when the interviewees were asked which party they would vote for in the parliamentary election. 41.15 per cent chose Frelimo, 29.78 per cent the MDM, while only 9.15 per cent opted for Renamo.Frelimo should feel encouraged by this poll, which may indicate that the MDM, which won control of Nampula in last year’s municipal election, is now losing ground.In the election for mayor of Nampula, held on 1 December, MDM candidate Mahamudo Amurrane won 53.84 per cent of the vote, while his Frelimo rival, Adolfo Siueia, won 41.04 per cent. In the election for the Nampula municipal assembly, the MDM won 51 per cent and Frelimo 43.99 per cent. Renamo boycotted the municipal elections.This was a serious defeat for Frelimo since in the previous municipal elections, in 2008, it had a majority of over 70 per cent in Nampula.The turnout in the Nampula municipal election was only 25.74 per cent. The low turnout and the Renamo boycott may have helped propel the MDM to victory. In the general elections, when Renamo’s name will be on the ballot paper, the opposition vote will be split.But few conclusions can be drawn from one opinion poll held in just one city. There were also problems with the sample used in this poll – More than twice as many women were interviewed as men – 69.24 per cent of the interviewees were women, and only 30.72 per cent were men.The educational level of the sample was also skewed. 75 per cent of the sample had secondary or university education – a much higher figure than among the general public.

MOZAMBIQUE GUARANTEED ANOTHER COMMONWEALTH GAMES MEDAL

Mozambique is guaranteed another medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. This follows Maria Machongua’s victory over Botswana’s Keneilwe Rakhudu in the women’s lightweight boxing quarter final on Wednesday night.Maria Machongua will fight against India’s Laishram Devi in the semi-final bout on Friday night. The winner takes part in Saturday’s final whilst the loser is awarded a bronze medal.Whatever the outcome, it will be the country’s second medal from the tournament.Monday, Maria Elisa Muchavo won a silver medal in the women’s 100 metres T12 final, coming second to Scotland’s Libby Clegg.The race was for visually impaired athletes, each of whom had a guide running alongside them.The 2014 Commonwealth Games is the largest sporting event ever held in Scotland, with just under five thousand athletes from 71 countries competing in 17 different sports. This year’s edition also hosts a record breaking 22 para-sport events spanning five sports.Mozambique has a team of fifteen athletes competing at the competition which ends on Sunday.

GOVERNMENT-RENAMO AGREEMENT POSTPONED

Contrary to expectations, no agreement was reached on Wednesday on a cessation of hostilities between the Mozambican government and the rebel movement Renamo, thanks to a new demand raised by Renamo.The 67th round in the dialogue between the government and Renamo should have led to full agreement on a final document. But instead, at the last minute Renamo demanded “clarification” of the guarantees of how the agreement will be implemented. Speaking to reporters, the head of the government delegation, Agriculture Minister Jose Pacheco, said that, although there had been “advances” in the latest talks, and although the two sides were ever nearer a consensus on the role of international observers in monitoring a cessation of hostilities, Renamo had demanded “an additional element, namely clarification of the guarantee mechanisms”.Pacheco said there was consensus on the importance of a cessation of hostilities, on the disarming and social reintegration of Renamo gunmen, so that after the entire process is concluded there will no longer be any political party in possession of military equipment. But now Renamo wanted “clarification” and Pacheco said the government would look at this question to see how it fitted into the terms of reference for the international observers.Pacheco seemed to accept that there will be an amnesty for the Renamo members who have committed murder and other crimes in their year long campaign of ambushes against civilian and military targets in the central province of Sofala. “The consensus on cessation of hostilities presupposes that the people who committed acts condemned by law during the time the dispute lasted will not answer in court for their acts”, said the Minister.The government will now analyse the additional points raised by Renamo, and bring its answer to the next round in the dialogue scheduled for Monday.The head of the Renamo delegation, Saimone Macuiana, claimed there was no new point, but merely a request for “clarification” about the guarantees which had already been agreed upon in principle. He said this call for “clarification” did not clash with any of the matters previously debated.“There is nothing new”, he said. “What we proposed merely helps clarify aspects of the guarantees, because we need things to be as clear as possible. These are clarifications that will help everyone in that they will guarantee a lasting and definitive agreement”.The original idea was that the “final document” would be signed on Wednesday by Pacheco and Macuiane, and then at some future date also by President Armando Guebuza and Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama.But Dhlakama is still living in a Renamo base somewhere in the Gorongosa mountain range, in Sofala. Claims in the Maputo daily “Noticias” that Dhlakama is about to abandon Gorongosa seem to have no basis in fact. Meanwhile, preparations for the 15 October general elections move inexorably onwards. The lists of parliamentary candidates from the three main parties (the ruling Frelimo Party, Renamo and the Mozambique Democratic Movement, MDM) have been approved and fixed at the entrance to the National Elections Commission (CNE).As for the presidential election, the Constitutional Council, the highest body in matters of constitutional and electoral law, has found no irregularities in the nomination papers from the three serious candidates – the Frelimo candidate, former defence minister Filipe Nyusi, and the Renamo and MDM leaders, Afonso Dhlakama and Daviz Simango.But the eight other candidates (two independents and six from minor parties) have not provided the requisite 10,000 valid supporting signatures from registered voters. The Council has given them until Monday to find sufficient valid signatures, all of which must be authenticated by a notary.