From: barnhart@netcom.com (Aaron Barnhart)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: IPS:MOZAMBIQUE: WAR-WEARY PEOPLE CALL F
Date: 20 Aug 92 05:47:01 GMT
Reply-To: barnhart@netcom.com
Organization: Netcom

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; Europe, western
Title: MOZAMBIQUE: WAR-WEARY PEOPLE CALL FOR PEACE, RECONCILIATION


an inter press service feature

by accadoga chiledi

maputo, aug 14 (ips) -- with peace prospects on the horizon,
war-weary mozambicans are demanding an immediate end to
conflict, and national reconciliation as the only way to prevent
the country tipping back into chaos.

the signing of a peace accord on aug. 7 by president
joaquim chissano and leader of the mozambique national
resistance (renamo), afonso dhlakama is viewed here as the least
that could have been expected from the talks in rome, italy.

it does not mean the abrupt end to the killing. the
decleration commits the two leaders of the warring parties in
the 17-year civil war ''to complete, by oct. 1, 1992, the
approval of the remaining protocols to allow the signing of the
general peace agreement by that date''.

the remaining protocols include the controversial composition
of a new national army. initially the government proposed a
50,000-strong army while renamo wanted 15,000. the mediators --
the italian government and the roman catholic church --
suggested 26,000.

both sides have prevaricated: now the government suggests a
new national army of between 30,000 and 35,000 and renamo 24,000
and the negotiators are currently juggling these figures, while
the fighting continues.

chissano had repeatedly refused to meet the leader of
''bandidos armados'' (armed bandits) but announced last month in
the zimbabwe capital, harare, he was ready to sit down with the
''president of renamo''.

in an apparent move to defend his changed position, chissano
had promised his 15 million people that when he meets dhlakama,
he would deliver an immediate end to the fighting.

but chissano returned home, dejected, from the rome
talks and cancelled an airport news conference without
explanation. the general feeling here is cynical, with reports
from the countryside of continued attacks by renamo.

''we don't want declarations. we want peace now'', says
martins bilal, president of the liberal and democratic party of
mozambique (palmo), one of the 12 political groups formed
following the introduction of pluralism in 1990.

''chissano has failed to meet his promise. why should
mozambicans continue to die for another seven weeks waiting for
the cease-fire'', adds bilal, a veteran of the independence war
and a mechanical engineer who runs his own firm here.(more/ips)


mozambique: war-weary (2)

joaquina paulo, is another veteran. she is angry chissano
came back ''empty-handed''.

''chissano and dhlakama could have spared the lives of
mozambicans by signing a truce while they worked out the
cease-fire'', she told ips friday.

but, she adds, ''this is not the time to start blaming
anybody. since they have committed themselves to a cease-fire by
the beginning of october, we must help them by praying for peace
in our land''.

the war has cost mozambique heavily. about a million people
have died, six million have been displaced and 1.5 million
others are refugees in neighbouring countries. destruction is
estimated by the united nations at 16 billion dollars.

wehia monakacho ripua, president of the mozambique democratic
party (pademo), condemns both the government and renamo for the
''atrocities'' they have committed during the 17-year war.

although renamo is considered to have conducted one of the
most brutal guerilla campaigns of recent history, the army
has also been accused of human rights violations.

ripua emphasises that his party will mobilise all mozambicans
to give a ''deserving'' welcome to dhlakama when he returns here
to begin his campaign for the multi-party elections.

''we shall mobilise the people, the government, the churches,
everybody to give mr dhlakama a hero's welcome,'' he told ips.

''for us, and for mozambique, national reconciliation is the
principle tenet of peace and the peace process'', says ripua,
lawyer and counsellor in the ministry of foreign affairs.

''this is not the time to begin blaming one another. if we
start saying renamo killed, renamo will also say (the ruling
party) frelimo killed. and the war continues'', adds ripua, a
retired major in the mozambican army and veteran of the
independence war.

''we are tired of war. we've suffered long enough. we want peace.
we want reconciliation. let's build a new nation''.
(end/ips/apc/tvh/oa/92)


-- 
Aaron (Barnhart@netcom.com) -- posting from Evanston, Illinois