page_title: Joaquim Chissano
section_title: Early life
hierarchical_section_title: Joaquim Chissano / Early life
caption_attribution_description: Nederlands: Chissano, vertegenwoordiger van Frelimo in Tanzania op Schiphol, opdracht Haagsche Courant 25 augustus 1972
context_page_description: Joaquim Alberto Chissano is a politician who served as the second President of Mozambique, from 1986 to 2005. He is credited with transforming the war-torn country of Mozambique into one of the most successful African democracies. After his presidency, Chissano became an elder statesman, envoy and diplomat for both his home country and the United Nations. Chissano also served as Chairperson of the African Union from 2003 to 2004.
context_section_description: Joaquim Chissano was born in the remote village of Malehice, Chibuto district, Gaza Province of the Portuguese colony of Mozambique (then called Portuguese East Africa). Chissano was the first black student to attend the only high school in the colony, Liceu Salazar in Lourenço Marques (present-day Maputo). After leaving secondary school, he went to Portugal to study medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon.  However, his political leanings caused him problems and he moved to France where he continued his studies at the University of Poitiers. In 1962, he went to Tanzania where he participated on the political movement that resulted in the foundation of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) and a year later he abandoned his studies to move to Tanzania in ordered to serve on the fight for the independence of Mozambique.
caption: Chissano in 1972
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