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The Peace Process in Mozambique
1984-1992
Dossier MZ-0772
8. Kenyan Mediation Falters:
November-December 1989
Some press reports in the last two months of 1989 speculated that the meeting in June between the Angolan President dos Santos and UNITA leader Savimbi might serve as a model for a similar rapprochement between Chissano and Dhlakama. But the parallels between Angola and Mozambique were superficial, and the Mozambican government was far from ready for direct negotiation with a group that they still contemptuously refered to as ‘armed bandits’. The rebels would have to recognise the legitimacy of the Mozambican government and constitution before any talks could begin, said Prime Minister Mário Machungo in mid-November.
Above: The ruins of Mobutu’s presidential palace at Gbadolite, on the border with the Central African Republic and more than 1,000 kilometres north of Kinshasa. It was here in mid-1989 that President dos Santos of Angola met and shook hands with Jonas Savimbi of UNITA, provoking speculation that Chissano and Dhlakama might follow suit, and adding to pressure on the Mozambican government to negotiate directly with Renamo.
The first signs of the government’s growing mistrust of Daniel arap Moi’s impartiality as a negotiator began to emerge, especially after reports that he supported the idea of negotiations without pre-conditions. The 12 points, said government spokespersons, still represented the official position. It was also reported that Chissano was irritated with what he saw as pressure for a meeting with Dhlakama when they both happened to be in Nairobi at the same time in early December.
Navigation for the «Peace Process» Pages
There will be an estimated 46 or 47 pages on the MHN website dedicated to the peace process, from 1984 up to November 1992. They are ordered chronologically. Click on the green button below to jump directly to the page covering the period that you are interested in. Note: at present only pages 1-12 are available, that is, up to January 1990. New pages will be posted regularly in the coming weeks.
MHN Resources
◊ November 1989
Mozambico: mediazione di pace. Nigrizia [ Verona] (November 1989 ), p.50. In Italian. Click here to download a PDF file, size 91 kb.
◊ November 1989
Ruth Ayisi. A luta continua. Africa Events [London] (November 1989), p.16-17. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 474 kb.
◊ 4 November 1989
A linha Maputo-UNITA. Informáfrica [Lisbon] no.9 (4 November 1989), p.7. In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 31 kb. A short piece on possible parallels between the peace process in Angola after the Gbadolite meeting, and that in Mozambique.
◊ 4 November 1989
Moçambique: até a vitória final? Informáfrica [Lisbon] no.9 (4 November 1989), p.7. In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 115 kb.
◊ 15 November 1989
Mozambican prime minister comments on negotiations with MNR and the re-opening of Nacala railway. A broadcast by Radio France Internationale on 15 November 1989 reported in the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 33 kb.
◊ 17 November 1989
Mozambique: parallel lines. Africa Confidential [London] vol.30 no.23 (17 November 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 42 kb. More on supposed parallels between Angola and Mozambique.
◊ 17 November 1989
Mozambique’s peace initiatives to end terrorism. MIO News Review [London] no.167 (17 November 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 65 kb. Based on AIM reports dated 11 and 14 November 1989, about Machungo’s remarks at a press conference in Brussels.
◊ 17 November 1989
South African promises to end support to bandits. MIO News Review [London] no.167 (17 November 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 37 kb. Based on AIM reports dated 11 and 14 November 1989, about Machungo’s remarks in Stockholm and Brussels.
◊ 21 November 1989
Mozambique: armed forces’ leaders reiterate support for Chissano. Broadcast by Radio Mozambique on 21 November 1989, reported in the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 26 kb.
◊ 24 November 1989
Talks with Mozambique rebels seem deadlocked. Southscan [London] vol.4 no.44 (24 November 1989), p.342. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 48 kb.
◊ 25 November 1989
Mozambique mediation going well – Moi. Herald [Harare] (25 November 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 34 kb.
◊ 27 November 1989
Chissano reafirma empenho no processo de paz moçambicano. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg] (27 November 1989). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 44 kb.
◊ 27 November 1989
Mozambique: Chissano reportedly confirms MNR leader allowed to attend August talks in Kenya. Broadcast by Radio Zambia on 27 November 1989 explaining how Dhlakama travelled to Nairobi to meet religious leaders, reported in Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 31 kb.
◊ 28 November 1989
Busca de paz para RPM caminha positivamente, afirma Presidente arap Moi. Notícias [Maputo] (28 November 1989). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 99 kb.
◊ 28 November 1989
Chissano confirms Dhlakama was allowed to leave. Herald [Harare] (28 November 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 42 kb. The Mozambican government asserts its authority, and by implication asserts that it controls the whole national territory, by saying that the Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama was‘allowed’ to leave for Nairobi to meet with religious leaders.
Above left: President Mobutu Sese Seko of the then Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo), who mediated a meeting between President José Eduardo dos Santos of Angola (centre) and Jonas Savimbi, leader of UNITA (right). This took place in the palace at Gbadolite in June 1989, and marked the beginning of an Angolan peace process. It also provoked much speculation that a similar process might be possible in Mozambique; in fact, the dynamic – and the final outcome – were quite different.
◊ 1 December 1989
MNR man to see Chissano. Herald [Harare] (1 December 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 25 kb. A speculative piece based on nothing more solid than the presence in Nairobi at the same time of both President Joaquim Chissano and Afonso Dhlakama of the MNR.
◊ 2 December 1989
Chissano-Dhlakama? Informáfrica [Lisbon] no.10 (2 December 1989). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 25 kb. More speculation about a hypothetical meeting between Dhlakama and President Chissano.
◊ 2 December 1989
Moçambique: impasse gera pressões externas. Informáfrica [Lisbon] no.10 (2 December 1989), p.4-5. In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 251 kb.
◊ 2 December 1989
Mozambican president may meet Moi and Mugabe in Nairobi. Summary of World Broadcasts [London] (2 December 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 25 kb. Report of a broadcast by Radio Mozambique on 30 November 1989.
◊ 2 December 1989
Mozambican president urges rebels to accept principles for negotiation. A Radio Mozambique broadcast of 2 December 1989 reported in the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 30 kb.
◊ 2 December 1989
Muçulmanos. Informáfrica [Lisbon] no.10 (2 December 1989). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 24 kb. Reports that Muslims are offended that they were excluded from the group of religious leaders – all Christian – who were authorised to make direct contact with the MNR in a peace initiative.
◊ 8 December 1989
Leaders meet on Maputo peace bid. Herald [Harare] (8 December 1989 ). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 28 kb. Reporting a meeting between President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and President Daniel arap Moi of Kenya.
◊ 9 December 1989
Maputo initiative: Presidents Mugabe, Moi sign secret agreement; MNR leader in Nairobi. Chronicle [Bulawayo] (9 December 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 717 kb. Lead story.
◊ 9 December 1989
Presidents sign secret pact on Mozambique. Herald [Harare] (9 December 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 301 kb.
◊ 9 December 1989
Karl Maier. Mugabe in Kenya for talks on Renamo. Independent [London] (9 December 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 40 kb.
◊ 10 December 1989
Presidents of Kenya and Zimbabwe sign secret agreement on Mozambique. Report from the Zimbabwean news agency on 10 December 1989 reported in the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 21 kb.
◊ 11 December 1989
Obtenção da paz em Moçambique sem assentar no uso da força, refere Joaquim Chissano. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg] (11 December 1989). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 40 kb.
◊ 15 December 1989
Claims denied. Herald [Harare] (15 December 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 19 kb.
◊ 15 December 1989
Mozambique authorities dismiss mediation reports. Summary of World Broadcasts [London] (15 December 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 28 kb.
◊ 16 December 1989
Chissano and Moi not seeing eye to eye. Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris] no.410 (16 December 1989), p.1-2. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 128 kb. One of the earliest reports of Mozambican dissatisfaction with what the government saw as Kenyan partiality towards Renamo in the ongoing talks in Nairobi. President Chissano was especially unhappy with pressure exerted by arap Moi for a face-to-face meeting with Afonso Dhlakama.
◊ 17 December 1989
Mugabe e Moi discutem paz em Moçambique. Tempo [Maputo] (17 December 1989). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 31 kb.
◊ 18 December 1989
Maputo desmente declarações de Dlhakama [sic]. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg] (18 December 1989). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 25 kb.
◊ 18 December 1989
Mozambique: Mugabe and Moi weigh peace conditions. Africa Economic Digest [London] (18 December 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 33 kb.
◊ 18 December 1989
Mugabe e arap Moi discutem fórmula de paz para Moçambique. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg] (18 December 1989). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 39 kb.
◊ 18 December 1989
Karl Maier. Renamo leader ready for face-to-face peace talks. Independent [London] (18 December 1989 ). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 78 kb.
◊ 19 December 1989
A Frelimo ainda não percebeu que o comunismo está em derrocada? O Diabo [Lisbon] (19 December 1989). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 75 kb. «O tom moderado da linguagem da Renamo dá a entender que as conversações de arap Moi e Mugabe em Nairobi decorreram de modo satisfatório».
◊ 19 December 1989
Mozambique looks to benefits of peace. Lloyd’s List [London] (19 December 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 65 kb. Obs.: Lloyd’s List is one of the oldest surviving newspapers in the world, having begun publication in the 1690s.
◊ 22 December 1989
Maputo may meet Renamo face to face. Star [Johannesburg] (22 December 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 24 kb.
◊ 23 December 1989
Mozambique: direct talks to open in February? Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris] (23 December 1989). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 68 kb.
◊ 24 December 1989
Governo moçambicano refuta alegações dos bandidos armados. Tempo [Maputo] (24 December 1989). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 42 kb. The Mozambican government denies reports that it is willing to meet with the MNR without pre-conditions.
◊ 24 December 1989
Moçambique espera alcancar a paz: Presidente Chissano na Cimeira dos Cinco. Tempo [Maputo] (24 December 1989). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 56 kb.