From: wsargeant@igc.apc.org (Winslow L. Sargeant)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: IPS:Mozambique, all needy civilians to
Date: 23 Jul 92 18:44:38 GMT

/* Written 12:08 am  Jul 23, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "MOZAMBIQUE: ALL NEEDY CIVILIANS TO " ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Europe, western
Title: MOZAMBIQUE: ALL NEEDY CIVILIANS TO RECEIVE HUMANITARIAN AID


mabalane, mozambique, jul 20 (ips/gil lauriciano) -- for the
first time in mozambique's 17-year civil war, all the needy
civilians are to get humanitarian aid without discrimination.

in an unprecedented event in rome, italy, last week, the
mozambique government and the mozambique national resistance
(renamo) signed a ''declaration on guiding principles for
humanitarian aid''.

the declaration came out of the two-year peace talks, chaired
by the italian government, to end the war which began soon after
mozambique became independent from portugal jun. 25, 1975.

more than 900,000 people have died in the war in which about
six million people have been diplaced.

under the rome declaration, all people will receive
humanitarian aid without discrimination. the control and
distribution of aid will be carried under the auspicies of the
united nations and the international committee of the red cross
(icrc).

there will also be free movement of people and goods in
mozambique under the u.n. and icrc flags. the government and
renamo are forbidden from drawing military advantage from
humanitarian aid operations.

mozambique is among the 10 southern african countries worst
affected by the current drought the worst in 50 years. about 45
percent of mozambique's population of 15 million people are
directly affected by the drought.

destroyed by civil war and its national economy in ruins, the
southern african nation has not been able to prevent the deaths
of hundreds of thousands of its people.

heads of delegations of the warring sides have welcomed the
rome declaration.

''we think it's an important event to the extent that it will
help reduce people's suffering'', transport and communications
minister armando guebuza told 'mediafax' publication here soon
after signing the agreement jul. 16.

''the agreement is very important since it guarantees freedom
to international humanitarian organisations to give humanitarian
aid to the population, without making any distinctions'', said
renamo's raul domingos.

but the declaration was signed while differences remain over
the practical implementation of the declaration, leaving doubts
about the possibility of a rapid start to humanitarian
assistance. (more/ips)


mozambique: all (2)

in the provinces of gaza, manica and sofala -- considered the
worst affected by the drought and the war -- the roads are
either full of holes, blocked with tree trunks or mined.

mozambican military sources in machaze, in southern manica
province, told ips soon after the rome declaration that large
groups of renamo were trying to control the road linking the
machaze district with neighbouring zimbabwe for some 200 kms.

''we have information that they (renamo) block the road and
people who were caught on the way to zimbabwe are dying from
hunger and thirst'', johane mulhui, member of the district
government told ips.

renamo has sent a four-point proposal to the united nations
aimed to set up ''corridors of peace'' consisting of four road
links with its neighbours south africa, malawi and zimbabwe.

the needy people could also be assisted through these
''corridors'' in six areas (machaze, chibabava, buzi, tambara,
canxixe and maringue) in central mozambique.

but this will leave out much of the areas north of the
zambezi river and south of the save river which are also
afflicted by the drought and the war.

renamo's ''corridors of peace'' include the major roads
linking the central mozambican port of beira to landlocked
malawi and zimbabwe and transport on the zambezi river.

although the mozambique government does not categorically
reject renamo's proposal on the corridors, it insists
mozambican ports must play an important role to distribute
humanitarian aid to people throughout the national territory.

meanwhile, peace may soon come to mozambique following
sunday's surprise announcement by mozambican president joaquim
chissano that he is ready to meet renamo leader afonso dhlkama.

''i and all mozambican people will do all we can to bring a
cease-fire and peace'', chissano told a news conference after
meeting zimbabwe's president, robert mugabe.

mugabe, chair of the seven southern african nations --
angola, botswana, mozambique, namibia, tanzania, zambia and
zimbabwe -- had briefed chissano about his talks last month with
dhlakama and botswana president kitumile quett masire.

speaking about the gaborone meeting, dhlakama has said he was
ready for an ''immediate cease-fire'' provided renamo members
were not ''harasssed or arrested''. (end/ips/gl/apc/oa/92)