After three
months of persistent boycotts, Mozambique’s former rebel movement Renamo on
Monday returned to dialogue with the government.It was Renamo, back in April
2013, which requested the dialogue, but in October broke off the talks
threatening that it would not return until the government accepted the presence
at the table of national and international mediators and observers.Since
October, the government has repeatedly invited Renamo to further talks. The
government delegation has arrived on time at Maputo’s Joaquim Chissano
Conference Centre, but Renamo has refused to turn up – until today, when the
Renamo team, headed by senior parliamentary deputy Saimone Macuiana, put in an
appearance.This at least meant that the question of the participation or
otherwise of foreign mediators and observers could be discussed face to face
rather than through an exchange of letters. But from the statements given to
the press after the brief meeting it was not at all clear whether either side
has changed its position.The head of the government delegation, Transport
Minister Gabriel Muthisse, told reporters that the spirit of both sides was
“positive”, and they had reached an understanding on “essential questions”
concerning the participation of “third parties” in the dialogue.“This is an
idea agreed upon by both sides”, he said. “We are confident that the work we
are now going to do is to seek to agree upon the criteria and terms of
reference for the participation of third parties, observers, which will create
much more positive conditions for the advance of the dialogue”. Muthisse
said he had the impression that Renamo had rejoined the dialogue in a positive
spirit. “In the coming sessions we shall try to consolidate this spirit”, he
added, “so that it has a positive impact on the life of our people”.“The most
important thing is the participation of third parties, of observers”, Muthisse
stressed. “The two parties will sit down to define the criteria for the
participation of these third parties. I think that our perspective, and I
believe also that of Renamo, is not to see who has won and who has lost. Our
expectation is that all Mozambicans will gain from this debate. Our focus is
that Mozambicans should win so that they can produce and live in a climate of peace”.Months
ago the government accepted two of the names put forward by Renamo as observers
– the Mozambican Anglican bishop, Dinis Sengulane, and prominent academic
Lourenco do Rosario.But Muthisse said nothing about mediation, and nothing
about foreigners participating either as observers or mediators. In
December, Renamo demanded mediation by Mozambican constitutional lawyer Gilles
Cistac, Italian bishop Matteo Zuppi, former South African President Thabo
Mbeki, and an unnamed representative of the European Union. As for observers,
Renamo proposed four Mozambicans –Sengulane, Rosario, the former
Vice-Chancellor of Maputo’s Eduardo
Mondlane University ,
Filipe Couto, and Alice Mabota, Chairperson of the Mozambican Human Rights
League (LDH). Six foreign observers were proposed, but all are countries rather
than individuals. They are: the United States ,
China , Portugal , Cape
Verde , Kenya
and Botswana.For his part, Macuiana told the reporters “From the work we have
done, it is clear that the presence of mediators and observers is important. So
together we shall find a way of putting this into practice, in order to include
the participation of all. The whole world is interested in helping the
Mozambican people reach a peaceful solution”.Asked if the return of Renamo to
the dialogue table would mean an end of attacks and ambushes by Renamo gunmen,
Macuiana said that his delegation had only gone to the Conference Centre to
discuss matters related with mediation.“Other subjects were not discussed, but
when the time comes, we shall advise you”, he said.
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