From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: MOZAMBIQUE: FRUSTRATION WITH DELAYED PEACE ACCORD
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 19:07:53 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
Title: MOZAMBIQUE: FRUSTRATION WITH DELAYED PEACE ACCORD


by gil lauriciano

maputo, oct 2 (ips) -- an old lady at the central market in
mozambique's capital maputo, said the delay in a peace accord
for a suffering country has ''suprised the spirits''.

''it hasn't rained for a long time, but today it's raining.
the spirits want to wash away the blood that has covered this
land -- but my son i don't know what the people of this land did
wrong'', said 61 year old alda ubisse, as tears fell down her
cheeks.

the 17-year civil war has torn apart this southern african
nation. its fall-out has left more than 60 per cent of the 15
million population living below the level of ''absolute
poverty'', more than two million are refugees in neighbouring
states, some three million people displaced within the country.

more than a million have died.

peace should have come with the signing of an accord
between the government of president joaquim chissano and
rebel leader afonso dhalakama thursday in rome.

dhalakama's foot-dragging and then last minute refusal to
accept citing security ''questions still to be resolved'' after
two days of intense diplomatic activity in rome has been a shock
for mozambicans.

state-owned radio mozambique had been broadcasting throughout
the day that dhalakama, the leader of the mozambican national
resistance (renamo) was expected at any moment to arrive in rome
and that the peace accord could be signed by the end of the day.

the ministry of interior called on people to celebrate with
discipline and order.

during thursday afternoon, dozens of people gathered around
one of the mentally disturbed people wandering maputo, suprised
by his lucid decleration ''from today the war has ended''.

dhalakama's apparent concern with the treaty is based on
the commissions to control police, the state information and
security services (sise), and identifiction of the places for
confinining troops, as well as the supervisory role of the
united nations.

renamo has attempted to unravel earlier agreement which spelt
out the size of the army, the number of assembly points, and
that the security service should remain under government
control. (more/ips)


mozambique: frustration (2)

''you can see that dhlakama is aware that there is a
significant possibility renamo could cease to exist as soon as a
peace accord is signed'', a diplomat here told ips.

the war is still far from over. the mozambican army
headquarters has released a communique denouncing renamo
offensives in the northern part of the country and attacks on
civilian vehicles on some roads in the center and south.
government troops have been ordered to stay on the defensive.

''renamo forces are moving from west to east in the provinces
of tete and niassa (north of the country)'', a western defence
attache in maputo confirmed to ips.

another western diplomat said that military experts who
visited mozambique two weeks ago, to survey the position of
troops on both sides, and places for confining the troops
''think they didn't manage to get a clear image of what's
happening''.

''dhlakama received them in a friendly way, but he seemed to
lack confidence, nervous, and refused to tell the experts where
his troops were or where he wanted them encamped'', said the
diplomat.

diplomats here already question whether dhlakama is in full
control of his forces. (end/ips/gl/oa/92)

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