From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:MOZAMBIQUE: U.N. PRESENCE BRINGS HOPES AND FEARS
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 13:57:23 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

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

Area: Africa, west
Reference: United Nations
Title: MOZAMBIQUE: U.N. PRESENCE BRINGS HOPES AND FEARS


an inter press service feature

by benilde dos santos

maputo, dec 28 (ips) -- with the sour example of a failed peace
process in angola all too close, mozambicans are hopeful, but
apprehensive, about the role an 8,000-strong u.n. peacekeeping
force their country.

approved by the u.n. security council dec. 16, the force is
expected to start arriving in this former portuguese colony next
month to supervise the demobilisation of more than 100,000
troops.

their task is to supervise implementation of the peace accord
signed in rome, italy, oct. 4 by mozambique's president joaquim
chissano and the leader of the rebel mozambique national
resistance (renamo), afonso dhlakama.

the accord went into force oct. 15, formaly ending 17 years of
a brutal civil war. the government and renamo immediately agreed
to call on the united nations to help ensure its implementation.

the peace process, which includes confining, disarming and
demobilising the warring sides, has virtually been paralysed as
mozambique awaited a u.n. security council decision on whether
or not to help the country with the necessary humanpower and
financial support.

reacting to the u.n. decision, renamo's secretary for foreign
affairs, jose de castro, says: ''the arrival of the blue caps
(u.n. peacekeepers) is welcome. i think they have learned from
their experience in angola, and want to do better in
mozambique''.

the united nations has been criticised internationally for
playing a weak role in angola, sending very few observers to
monitor the peace process and passively observing elections
rather than organising them.

mozambique's parliament, the people's assembly, in session
when the u.n. approval was announced, welcomed the world body's
decision with mixed feelings.

''won't such a large foreign presence compromise our
sovereignty and take away decision-making powers from the
state?'' member of parliament narciso matos asked the assembly.
(more/ips)


mozambique: u.n. (2)

but academics specialised in southern african affairs,
meeting here for a seminar on post-war mozambique on the wake of
the u.n. approval, argued that a large u.n. force is essential
for the peace process.

mark simpson, a specialist in international relations at
south africa's witwatersrand university, said the u.n.
resolution ''guarantees there will not be a repetition of
angola's experience''.

but renamo's de castro admits merely sending more u.n. troops
to mozambique is not enough to guarantee the success of the
peace process.

''for peace to be achieved, both the government and frelimo
(the ruling party) must be fully committed to fulfilling the
accord'', says de castro.

the war, in which about one million people were killed and
six million others displaced, had mozambique the world's poorest
countries.

the u.n. special envoy to mozambique, aldo ajello, insists
the peace process must be completed before the beginning of
campaigning for the first multiparty elections due late next
year.

the aim is to avoid a repeat of what happened in angola where
rebels of the national union for the total liberation of angola
(unita) returned to war when they lost the sep. 29-30 multiparty
elections, emphasises ajello, who is also italy's ambassador to
mozambique.

''this will be a major task needing cooperation from both
sides'', says ajello, whose country chaired the two-year talks
in rome between the mozambique government and renamo.

''lots of difficulties could disrupt the peace process.
everything is hard because when you start, both sides have their
own interpretation of the peace process'', adds the italian
diplomat.

ajello says his advance team of 20 military observers already
face problems with demining and the free movement of people in
both government and renamo-held areas. this could raise serious
problems for the electoral process. (end/ips/bs/apc/92)