From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:MOZAMBIQUE: ACADEMICS CALL FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC RECONSTRUCTION
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 22:16:00 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'.

Reference: Trade & Finance
Title: MOZAMBIQUE: ACADEMICS CALL FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC RECONSTRUCTION


maputo, dec 22 (ips) -- prospects for peace in mozambique will
dim unless the country's socio-economic fibre is reconstructed,
according to a group of international academics.

''there is need to use a new concept of security. when we
talk of security, we are talking about people and, in this
sense, security goes beyond simple defence of the state'', said
the group in a statement tuesday.

''we have to look at economic development, environment...'',
add the academics in a statement issued at the end of their
meeting here.

drawn from several countries, the academics discussed
security matters under the theme ''mozambique post-war:
challenges and realities''.

the 17-year war between the mozambique government and the
rebel mozambique national resistance (renamo) has devastated the
former portuguese colony and made it the world's poorest
countries.

about one million people were killed during the war which
displaced about six million others.

the conflict ended with the oct. 4 signing of a peace accord
in rome, italy, between mozambique's president joaquim chissano
and renamo leader afonso dhlakama.

renamo, brainchild of the former rhodesian (now zimbabwe)
intelligence, was unleashed at the dawn of mozambique's
independence in 1975 to thwart the socialist thrust of
mozambique's first president, samora machel.

when zimbabwe gained its independence from britain in 1980,
south africa adopted renamo which continued its fight against
the mozambique government until the oct. 4 accord.

meeting ahead of the arrival next month of an 8,000-strong
u.n.-sanctioned peacekeeping force, the academics pointed out
the narrow scope of the contingent.

the u.n. force will first disarm and demobilise both the
government troops and the former rebel remano units and then
observe mozambique's first multiparty elections.

without the u.n. mandate being extended to deal with economic
and social reconstruction, some of the academics said, ''there
is unlikely to be real social peace in this country in
mozambique''. (more/ips)


mozambique: academics (2)

''in africa, there is a general tendency to generalise
insecurity at all levels, and mozambique is no exception to this
rule'', the academics said. ''an important part of solving the
problem is total democratisation of african countries''.

''what we should talk about when we speak of insecurity and
threats is people's food security'', said mozambican methodist
church minister taimo jamisse.

the academics observed that youths, claimimg to be renamo
members and government troops, daily beckon traffic to stop
along the country's main thoroughfares asking for food, money or
cigarettes.

meanwhile, the peace accord is largely holding. this week
mozambique completes its second month of the agreement.

the academics said although there is no ''conventional
threat'' against mozambique from outside, they feared ''people
who profitted from the war will try to resist changes and
prolong insecurity'' in the country.

mark simpson, an international relations expert from south
africa's witwatersrand university, called for the collection of
data on weapons flowing into mozambique in a bid to ensure the
peace agreement holds.

he also suggested buying back arms from people owning them, a
compensatory incentive currently being carried out in south
africa. (end/ips/gl/rw/fc/apc/92)