From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: MOZAMBIQUE PEACE: EMERGENCY FOOD DISTRIBUTION TO GO AHEAD
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 00:13:09 GMT

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Disarmament & Peace; Agriculture; United Nations
Title: MOZAMBIQUE PEACE: EMERGENCY FOOD DISTRIBUTION TO GO AHEAD


maputo, sep 21 (ips) -- the u.n. distribution of emergency aid
to drought victims began in mozambique monday, despite
reluctance by the rebel mozambique national resistance (renamo)
to accept the u.n. plan

renamo's reluctance contradicts the cooperative spirit shown
by its leader, afonso dhlakama, in his meeting with mozambican
president joaquim chissano in gaborone, botswana, friday.

during the meeting, which chissano said was characterised by
''mutual understanding'', the two leaders decided to sign a
general peace agreement oct. 1, and end hostilities in the
meantime.

the botswana meeting was the second face-to-face meeting
between chissano and dhlakama, breaking the deadlock in the
negotiations to end a 17-year war in which more than a million
people have died.

sep. 14 was the deadline given by the united nations to the
the government and renamo to accept the food aid distribution
plan which, for the first time, included areas under rebel
control.

the distribution plan was drawn up taking into account
proposals from both sides, and the assessments made by the world
body's own staff.

the government accepted the plan without reservation sep. 14.
but renamo delayed by a further 24 hours and then only accepted
two of the 10 overland routes under the u.n. plan.

the united nations gave renamo a second ultimatum, demanding
it accept the entire package by saturday, sep. 19. but even by
that date renamo had not done so.

''it's we who know the situation on the ground, and not the
united nations'', said anselmo vitor, one of the renamo
representatives in maputo under italian diplomatic protection.

one of the routes accepted by renamo goes from tica, in the
beira corridor central mozambique), to chiedeia, a renamo-held
zone in the central province of sofala.

the second starts from espungabera on the mozambique-zimbabwe
border and goes through renamo-held territory to the isolated
government-controlled town of machaze.

renamo proposed to bring food aid through malawi and south
africa, after first landing at mozambiquan ports. the suggestion
was rejected by the united nations. (more/ips)


mozambique: emergency (2)

renamo had also insisted its areas be supplied by airlifts.
the united nations said the airlifts are the most expensive and
least efficient way to move food, and can only be justified in
cases of extreme need for isolated communities which cannot be
reached overland.

airstrips in rural mozambique can only accommodate small
planes carrying at most three or four tonnes of food per trip.

meanwhile, in response to strong criticisms from the
international community, prime minister mario machungo has
promised to update ''shortly'' its figures on the people in need
of food aid.

speaking during a tour of the drought-striken gaza, manica
and sofala provinces in central and southern mozambique,
machungo said: ''the most effective way of avoiding further
deaths is to bring food rapidly to those who need it, but the
simplest way of achieving this is to stop the war''.

in the emergency appeal launched by the government and the
united nations in may, it was estimated 3.1 million people of
mozambique's 15 million needed freely-distributed food aid.

diplomatic sources here told ips monday they expect the
second chissano-dhlakama meeting in botswana, will give its
go-ahead to the u.n. distribution plan.

apart from reaffirming the oct. 1 as the date to sign a peace
agreement, chissano and dhlakama fixed the size of the future
armed forces (including the navy and air force) at 30,000
persons.

they also agreed the mozambique state security and
intelligence service would remain under government control.

these were two points that had deadlocked the talks in rome
between government and renamo delegations. the talks have been
going on for more than two years under italian government and
catholic church mediation.

a further point dealt with at the botswana meeting was the
withdrawal of about 7,000 zimbabwean and some 100 malawian
troops stationed in mozambique.

the two contingents help protect the rail corridors from the
port of beira to zimbabwe, and from the northern port of nacala
to malawi. these routes offer the two landlocked states their
cheapest and shortest access to the sea.

the mozambique parliament would be this week to enshrine into
law the protocols so far agreed between the government and
renamo, chissano has announced here. (end/ips/gil/apc/92)