From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: MOZAMBIQUE: UN RELIEF OPERATION BEGINS DESPITE
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 00:15:25 GMT

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

Title: MOZAMBIQUE: UN RELIEF OPERATION BEGINS DESPITE RENAMO RELUCTANCE


maputo, sep 21 (gil lauriciano-ips) -- the united nations began
distributing humanitarian aid to mozambique's drought victims on
monday, despite reluctance by the rebels of the national
mozambican resistance movement (renamo) to back the operation.

renamo's unwillingness to approve the un relief operation is
in sharp contrast to the cooperative spirit shown by its leader,
alfonso dhlakama, at last friday's meeting in botswana with
mozambican president joaquim chissano.

president chissano described the meeting as positive and said
a mutual understanding had been reached to sign the general peace
agreement for mozambique on october 1.

the meeting between chissano and dhlakama served to unblock
the negotiation process aimed at reaching a political solution to
the country's 16-year civil war, which has so far claimed more
than one million lives, according to un estimates.

last week, the un issued an ultimatum to both sides in the
conflict to give the go-ahead for a plan to distribute humanitarian
aid to thousands of civilians living in drought-stricken areas
under rebel control.

though the government approved the plan before the deadline
set by the un, on sept 14, renamo remained silent until last
friday when it accepted only two of the ten relief distribution
routes proposed by the un plan.

''we're the ones who really understand the situation on the
ground, not the united nations,'' argued victor anselmo, renamo's
representative in the mozambican capital, maputo.

the two distribution routes accepted by the rebels include the
tica road linking the port of beira with the rebel-controlled
area of cheideia, and the espungabera route from the zimbabwean
border to the district of machaze, which cuts across a large area
controlled by renamo.

however, the un rejected renamo proposals to send in supply
convoys from south africa and malawi, because the roads are
impassable, and also refused to organise airlifts due to their
excessive cost and the lack of air-strips suitable for landing
the large aircraft needed to transport enough food for the
country's two million drought victims.

meanwhile, in response to strong international criticism,
mozambican prime minister mario machungo last week visited the
central provinces of sofala and manica, which have suffered most
from war and drought, to assess the amount of aid required.

''the most effective way to preventmore deaths is to deliver
food rapidly to those in greatest need, but the most radical way
would be to put an end to the war,'' machungo said after his
visit. (more/ips)
----


mozambique: un (2)

in an emergency appeal launched in april, the government and
the un estimated that 3.1 million of mozambique's 15 million
people were in urgent need of food as a result of the drought.

however, diplomatic sources in maputo predicted that renamo
would finally say ''yes'' to the un plan as a result of the
meeting between chissano and dhlakama.

in addition to setting a date for the signing of the peace
accords, the two leaders agreed to limit the size of mozambique's
future armed forces to 30,000 troops, a figure that includes the
army, navy and air force. they also agreed to maintain the
country's information and security services.

the last two points had been a major stumbling block at the
peace negotiations that have taken place over the past two years
in rome, with the mediation of the italian government and the
catholic church.

another issue discussed at friday's meeting in botswana was
the withdrawal of foreign troops stationed in mozambique,
especially the 7,000 troops from zimbabwe and 100 from malawi.

these two contingents protect rail and road links from the
port of beira to the centre of the country as well as the
northern area of nacala, which guarantees zimbabwe and malawi
access to mozambican ports on the indian ocean.
(ends/ips/trd/gl/rb-sfi/cg/92)
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