DOCSLIB.ORG

The State of Peacebuilding in Africa Lessons Learned for Policymakers and Practitioners

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The State of Peacebuilding in Africa Lessons Learned for Policymakers and Practitioners The State of Peacebuilding in Africa Lessons Learned for Policymakers and Practitioners Edited by Terence McNamee Monde Muyangwa The State of Peacebuilding in Africa “On the 50th anniversary of the Organization of African States (OAU) in 2013 the Africa Union (the OAU reborn) pledged itself to creating a conflict-free Africa. That aspiration still remains unrealized, and this study explains why. In looking back at the past 50 years of the continent’s history it identifies why Africa is still conflict—prone; in looking to its future it explains what still needs to be done to redeem the AU’s pledge. Written by practitioners as well as academics this is an important work that is constructive in its recommendations, and written in an authoritative and engaging style. This study doesn’t pull its punches. It also carries a warning by its editors that good intentions are not enough; unfortunately, they are all too often supported by unintended consequences.” —Professor Christopher Coker, Director, London School of Economics, IDEAS “‘The State of Peacebuilding in Africa’ is a sophisticated tour de force of recent scholarship on the conceptual, practical and regional aspects of peacebuilding and peacemaking across contemporary Africa. The volume adroitly questions tradi- tional approaches to peacebuilding in the complex and evolving milieu within which African countries operate, and offers a fresh look at how the economic, social, political and cultural factors interact in complex emergencies. The authors use a range of thematic angles and case-study examples to explore and articu- late innovative, evidence-driven options for policy wonks and policy makers. This book will bring as much richness to the classroom and project whiteboard, as it would to boardroom.” —Raymond Gilpin, Ph.D., Chief Economist and Head of Strategy, Regional Bureau for Africa, UNDP New York “Far from a period in which narrations of conflict and peacebuilding in Africa were done predominantly by distant spectators and ‘beholders of peace’, this book signals a shift by projecting African-led ideas. Not only does it bring authen- tically African voices to the fore, it offers African peacebuilding perspectives in a global context. It also privileges first-hand accounts of policy practitioners as well as experts that have engaged meaningfully with peacebuilding processes and activities on the ground in Africa. The editors succeed in connecting the world of academia with that of policy and practice; and they offer a useful model of collaboration among authors from the global North and South while maintaining the prominence of the African accounts at the core of the book. This is a bold attempt to shift perspectives of peacebuilding in Africa from those that are based on the gaze of distant actors to those which reflect the worldviews of the real ‘owners of peace’.” —Professor Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President & Vice-Principal International Professor of Security, Leadership & Development, King’s College London and Advisory Group of Experts, for the Review of the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture (2015) “Thorough, informative, insightful, and inspiring, this important collection brings together an impressive and diverse set of authors to reflect upon the progress that has been made in peacebuilding in Africa and the challenges that remain. The authors provide an incisive analysis of existing tensions, such as the mismatch between pan African ideals of self-reliance and the continent’s heavy dependence on external funding, but they also offer practical and timely sugges- tions on how to improve peacebuilding approaches and practices. This book will be essential reading for policymakers and students interested in efforts to support and uphold peace on the continent.” —Devon E. A. Curtis, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Emmanuel College “Drawing on the experiences and expertise of established Africanists, The State of Peacebuilding in Africa delves eloquently into 30-year peacebuilding experi- ence in Africa exploring peacebuilding in transition in Africa; appropriate strate- gies and tools; regional and international dimensions; and country/region case studies before shedding important lights on key lessons and recommendations. The editors do an outstanding job of fleshing out the conceptual, methodological and paradigmatic issues in the face of complex conflict, peace and security chal- lenges in Africa, while the contributors deliver well-rounded and mature contri- butions. This book offers timely and stimulating perspectives on the quest for peace in Africa. It presents compelling new insights on the important, yet some- times overlooked, symbiotic relationships among peace, security and develop- ment. The State of Peacebuilding in Africa provides scholars, policymakers, and other stakeholders studying and working on African issues with innovative solu- tions, strategies, knowledge, insights and analyses to support decision-making on how best African leaders should embark on peacebuilding on their continent.” —Mathurin C. Houngnikpo, Ph.D., Independent Scholar, and former Professor, Civil-Military Relations, Africa Center for Strategic Studies “Very few books provide as broad and deep a set of reflections and considerations regarding peacebuilding in Africa, as this volume. The issues and case studies covered here offer much for the future of policymaking in this area.” —David J. Hornsby, Associate Vice President of Teaching and Learning and Professor, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, Canada Terence McNamee · Monde Muyangwa Editors The State of Peacebuilding in Africa Lessons Learned for Policymakers and Practitioners Editors Terence McNamee Monde Muyangwa Global Fellow, Africa Program Director, Africa Program Woodrow Wilson International Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Center for Scholars Washington, DC, USA Washington, DC, USA ISBN 978-3-030-46635-0 ISBN 978-3-030-46636-7 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46636-7 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2021. This book is an open access publication. Open Access This book is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this book are included in the book’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the book’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and informa- tion in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cover image: © Alex Linch/shutterstock.com The research for this book was made possible by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. The views and statements expressed in this book are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not represent the views of the Wilson Center or the Carnegie Corporation of New York. This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland This book is dedicated to the memory of Steve McDonald and Congressman Howard Wolpe, former directors of the Africa Program at the Wilson Center, for their dedication and commitment to peace in Africa. Acknowledgments This book came to life out of the Southern Voices Network for Peace- building (SVNP), a pan-African network of organizations that works with the Wilson Center to bring African knowledge and expertise to inform policymaking on peacebuilding in Africa. We are deeply grateful to all of the member organizations and their dedicated scholars and practitioners who make up this network. This volume would not have been possible without the SVNP’s relentless commitment to building peace in Africa. Many people contributed to the successful development of this book, which is being published at a time of extraordinary global disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We would firstly like to thank the chapter contributors to this book who have been unfailingly generous with their time during the long and arduous journey of bringing this international compendium to print, especially given the unprecedented circumstances which have marked the end of this journey. We are grateful that you stayed the course with us and produced such extraordinarily rich contri- butions to this subject.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Heads of State Heads of Government Ministers For
    UNITED NATIONS HEADS OF STATE Protocol and Liaison Service HEADS OF GOVERNMENT PUBLIC LIST MINISTERS FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNTRY HEAD OF STATE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AFGHANISTAN His Excellency Same as Head of State His Excellency Mr. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Mr. Mohammad Haneef Atmar Full Title President of the Islamic Republic of Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Afghanistan Republic of Afghanistan Date of Appointment 29-Sep-14 04-Apr-20 ALBANIA His Excellency His Excellency same as Prime Minister Mr. Ilir Meta Mr. Edi Rama Full Title President of the Republic of Albania Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Affairs of the Republic of Albania Republic of Albania Date of Appointment 24-Jul-17 15-Sep-13 21-Jan-19 ALGERIA Son Excellence Son Excellence Son Excellence Monsieur Abdelmadjid Tebboune Monsieur Abdelaziz Djerad Monsieur Sabri Boukadoum Full Title Président de la République algérienne Premier Ministre de la République algérienne Ministre des Affaires étrangères de la République démocratique et populaire démocratique et populaire algérienne démocratique et populaire Date of Appointment 19-Dec-19 05-Jan-20 31-Mar-19 21/08/2020 Page 1 of 66 COUNTRY HEAD OF STATE HEAD OF GOVERNMENT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS ANDORRA Son Excellence Son Excellence Son Excellence Monseigneur Joan Enric Vives Sicília Monsieur Xavier Espot Zamora Madame Maria Ubach Font et Son Excellence Monsieur Emmanuel Macron Full Title Co-Princes de la Principauté d’Andorre Chef du Gouvernement de la Principauté d’Andorre Ministre des Affaires étrangères de la Principauté d’Andorre Date of Appointment 16-May-12 21-May-19 17-Jul-17 ANGOLA His Excellency His Excellency Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • India Reels from COVID 'Storm' As Europe Vows Vaccine Push
    6 Established 1961 International Thursday, April 22, 2021 India reels from COVID ‘storm’ as Europe vows vaccine push Nepal’s former king, queen tested positive after attending India festival NEW DELHI: Oxygen supplies in Indian hospitals were running perilously low yesterday as daily COVID- News in brief 19 deaths surged past 2,000 for the first time in one of the world’s most brutal ongoing coronavirus waves. Governments remain fearful of similar surges elsewhere Search for submarine with 53 aboard in the world with many vaccine rollouts hampered by low supplies, and a top European Union official prom- JAKARTA: Indonesia’s military said it was search- ing for a submarine with 53 crew aboard after losing ised to have enough doses available to vaccinate 70 contact with the vessel off the coast of Bali yester- percent of the bloc’s adults by the summer. day. “The KRI Nanggala 402 lost contact early this India-home to 1.3 billion people-is also struggling morning,” said First Admiral Julius Widjojono. “(The with low vaccine supplies and has put the brakes on navy) is currently searching for it. We know the area exports of locally produced AstraZeneca shots as it but it’s quite deep.” Indonesia’s military chief Hadi fights a terrifying COVID-19 wave that has over- Tjahjanto told AFP neighbors Singapore and whelmed its hospitals. “I am scared for my parents and Australia had been asked for help. The navy had dis- relatives more than I am scared for myself because they patched warships to the area off the northern coast are not young anymore and getting admitted into a of Bali to search for the submarine, he said.
    [Show full text]
  • Decentralisation and Establishment of Local Government in Lesotho
    Diplomarbeit Zur Prüfung im Studiengang Diplom Verwaltungswissenschaft An der Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Potsdam Im Sommersemester 2006 Decentralisation and the Establishment of Local Government in Lesotho Vorgelegt am 09. Juli 2006 von _______________________________________________________________________ Robert Sperfeld Matrikel-Nr. 707036 Turnstraße 39, D-14482 Potsdam, 0331-88 74 37 8 [email protected] Betreut durch Dr. habil. Jochen Franzke Universität Potsdam Robert Sperfeld Decentralisation and Local Government in Lesotho ii Erklärung Hiermit versichere ich, dass ich die vorliegende Arbeit selbständig und ohne unerlaubte fremde Hilfe verfasst habe, und dass alle wörtlich oder sinngemäß aus Veröffentlichungen entnommenen Stellen dieser Arbeit unter Quellenangabe einzeln kenntlich gemacht sind. Potsdam, den 09. Juli 2006 Robert Sperfeld Robert Sperfeld Decentralisation and Local Government in Lesotho iii Table of Contents Erklärung..................................................................................................................ii Table of Contents....................................................................................................iii Text Boxes and Tables............................................................................................ v List of Appendixes ................................................................................................... v List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................vi
    [Show full text]
  • Prospects for a Sustainable Elite Bargain in Mozambique Third Time Lucky? Contents
    Research Paper Alex Vines Africa Programme | August 2019 Prospects for a Sustainable Elite Bargain in Mozambique Third Time Lucky? Contents Summary 2 1 Introduction 3 2 Key Features of Past Elite Bargains 5 3 New Mediation (2013 – Present) 15 4 Sustainability of Elite Bargains 23 5 Conclusion 27 About the Author 30 Acknowledgments 30 1 | Chatham House Prospects for a Sustainable Elite Bargain in Mozambique: Third Time Lucky? Summary • A newly agreed deal could end 42 years of armed contest between the Mozambique Liberation Front-led government (FRELIMO) and the armed opposition party Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO). The agreement, due to be signed in August, is the third attempt and if it is to last, it will require political good will, compromise and an acceptance of more inclusive national politics by both parties. • The forthcoming 15 October 2019 elections and their conduct could make or break this new elite bargain. International monitoring of these elections and support for national oversight efforts are critical to this process. • A lasting agreement is in the national interest. It would mean that a new Mozambican government formed after the national elections can focus on gas industry development, improving services, poverty reduction and combating new security challenges, such as growing violent Islamic radicalism in Cabo Delgado. • The new elite bargain requires continued international and domestic engagement. It attempts to encourage alternative peaceful livelihood opportunities through training of RENAMO’s past and current armed militia. This should help RENAMO to gradually disarm its militant wing if post-election confidence grows. • The newly created post of Personal Envoy for Mozambique by the UN Secretary-General is an important development to provide support, coordination and leadership for international peace partnerships.
    [Show full text]
  • A New and Prosperous Era Mozambique’S Natural Resource Endowment Provides the Foundation for an Exciting Future
    MOZAMBIQUE A new and prosperous era Mozambique’s natural resource endowment provides the foundation for an exciting future f ever a country deserved its good fortune, then FRELIMO took complete control of the former After 15 years Mozambique is that country. For the first 20 colony after a transition period, as agreed in the years of the independence it won in 1975, it was Lusaka Accord which recognised Mozambique’s right of economic wracked by a war whose scars are still visible to independence and the terms of the transfer of power. Itoday. After 15 years of economic reforms, recent Within a year of the Portuguese coup, almost all the reforms, discoveries of gas, along with a huge coal sector, will 300,000 Portuguese population had departed. This provide much-needed finance for the Government in hasty exodus left the Mozambican economy in chaos. recent its mission to eradicate poverty and create jobs. Two years later, in 1977, civil war erupted, destroying The Portuguese began colonising what is today what little wealth and physical infrastructure the discoveries Mozambique in the early 16th century, soon Portuguese had left behind. establishing this stretch of the East African coastline as For 13 years, Mozambique was a Cold War of gas, along a trade centre with India. After the end of World War battleground, as the Soviet-backed FRELIMO army II, as in most of Africa, an independence movement fought the US and South African-backed RENAMO with a huge emerged, led by FRELIMO, which fought the rebels. By 1990, the world outside Mozambique Portuguese military regime of Antonio Salazár.
    [Show full text]
  • MDM: a New Political Force in Mozambique?
    MDM: a new political force in Mozambique? Sérgio Chichava Instituto de Estudos sociais e Económicos (IESE) Maputo, Mozambique for the conference ‘Election processes, liberation movements and democratic change in Africa’ Maputo, 8‐11 April 2010 CMI and IESE Abstract One of the highlights of the general elections of 2009 was the emergence and participation of a new political party, the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), whose formation resulted from the exclusion of Daviz Simango from Renamo by this party's leader, Afonso Dhlakama. This paper discusses the rise of MDM in the wider context of politics in the Sofala province, an important region in the centre of Mozambique that historically has had difficult relations with a southern elite of Frelimo. Keywords: MDM, Daviz Simango, Renamo, Sofala, Mozambique. 1 Introduction One of the highlights of the general elections of October 2009 was the emergence and participation of a new political party, the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM). The MDM party was created in Beira, capital of Sofala, a province in Central Mozambique, in March 2009, as a result of the exclusion of Daviz Simango from Renamo by this party's leader, Afonso Dhlakama. The emergence of this new party brought hope and high expectations amongst many Mozambicans. Indeed Mozambican voters who had become disenchanted with the performance of the opposition parties, in particular with Renamo, hoped to avert the collapse of multipartism and the return of an all‐powerful Frelimo dominating the political scene. MDM stated that its main goal was to build a true political alternative to Frelimo and to bring a new political approach in the country.
    [Show full text]
  • Un Royaume En Eaux Troubles : Les Crises Politico-Sécuritaires Du Lesotho
    AVRIL 2021 Un royaume en eaux troubles Les crises politico-sécuritaires Centre Afrique oubliées du Lesotho subsaharienne Thibaud KURTZ L’Ifri est, en France, le principal centre indépendant de recherche, d’information et de débat sur les grandes questions internationales. Créé en 1979 par Thierry de Montbrial, l’Ifri est une association reconnue d’utilité publique (loi de 1901). Il n’est soumis à aucune tutelle administrative, définit librement ses activités et publie régulièrement ses travaux. L’Ifri associe, au travers de ses études et de ses débats, dans une démarche interdisciplinaire, décideurs politiques et experts à l’échelle internationale. Les opinions exprimées dans ce texte n’engagent que la responsabilité de l’auteur. ISBN : 979-10-373-0348-6 © Tous droits réservés, Ifri, 2021 Couverture : © Shutterstock/South Africa Stock Video », Barrage de Katse au Lesotho Comment citer cette publication : Thibaud Kurtz, « Un royaume en eaux troubles : les crises politico- sécuritaires oubliées du Lesotho », Notes de l’Ifri, Ifri, avril 2021. Ifri 27 rue de la Procession 75740 Paris Cedex 15 – FRANCE Tél. : +33 (0)1 40 61 60 00 – Fax : +33 (0)1 40 61 60 60 E-mail : [email protected] Site internet : Ifri.org Auteur Thibaud Kurtz est analyste en géopolitique africaine. Il a mené de nombreuses missions pour des réseaux d’ONG et diplomatiques européens en Afrique australe et des Grands Lacs. Après avoir travaillé au sein d’EurAc à Bruxelles, il a été basé au Botswana pendant plusieurs années, où il a occupé des postes régionaux pour les missions diplomatiques de la France, de l’Union européenne et du Royaume-Uni.
    [Show full text]
  • South Africa's Marionettes of Destabilisation*
    SOUTH AFRICA'S MARIONETTES OF DESTABILISATION* By Paul Fauvet and Alves Gomes To ensure its own survival, South Africa's apartheid regime is determined to maintain its grip over all the independent states in the region. Those independent states, working through the mechanism of the Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), are equally determined to break the ties of dependence that bind them to Pretoria. South Africa hectors, threatens and attE!IIIpts to destabilise its neighbours. Outright milit~ attacks alternate with econ­ omic pressure, with funding subversive activities, and with the occasional shot at bribery. ''MOZAMBIQUE NATIONAL RESISTANCE" This article looks at the main instrument now in use in efforts to destabilise Mozambique -- the so-called ''Mozambique National Resistance," (MNR) . When the leaders of the six Front Line states met in Maputo in early March, they stressed in their final communique that the South African regime was resorting to "the preparation, training and financing of armed bandits to destabilise the independent countries of southern Africa." The Front Line leaders can hardly not have bad in mind the group calling itself the "Mozambique National Resistance", and its increased activities in recent months, directed particularly against Mozambique's transport routes, so vital for the whole project of the Southern Africa Development Coordination Confer­ ence (SADCC) to break with the region's dependence on South Africa. The MNR presents itself to the outside world as a heroic nationalist organisation struggling against a "c0111111unist dicta­ torship". It speaks of a "second war of national liberation," and even misappropriates familiar FRELIMO slogans for its own use.
    [Show full text]
  • International News OAS Prelims 2020 Current Affairs
    OAS PRELIMS 2020 VST 1 WWW.OBJECTIVEIAS.IN International News OAS Prelims 2020 Current Affairs January 2020 • The UAE Cabinet has validated the Multi-entry Tourist Visa which would be valid for 5 years for all nationalities visiting the UAE. • The Iranian parliament has designated US Armed Forces & Pentagon as ‘Terrorist Entities’ with a motion passed at an open parliament session. It also seeks the allocation of 200 Million Euros to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force. • Zoran Milanovic has won Croatia’s presidential election. • The Ukrainian aircraft “Boeing 737” boarding 176 people crashed in Tehran, Iran shortly after taking off from Imam Khomeini International Airport located in Tehran, Iran. • The United Nations has declared Pakistani education activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai as “Most Famous Teenager of The Decade” in its ‘Decade in Review’ report. • United States President Donald Trump has signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act and hence authorised the establishment of US Space Force which will become the 6th branch of the armed forces and would be the part of the Department of the Air Force. • The 18th Dhaka International Film Festival begins at Dhaka, Bangladesh. The theme of the festival is ‘Better Film, Better Audience and Better Society’. • Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq al Said has took over as Sultan of Oman. He will succeed Sultan Qaboos bin Said who passed away recently. • First phase of “Bishwa Ijtema” has commenced in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the second largest congregation of Muslim community after Hajj. • Tsai Ing-wen has won the Taiwan presidential election. She wins the second term as Taiwan president.
    [Show full text]
  • General Assembly Official Records Seventy-Fifth Session
    United Nations A/75/ PV.12 General Assembly Official Records Seventy-fifth session 12th plenary meeting Saturday, 26 September 2020, 9 a.m. New York President: Mr. Bozkir ........................................... (Turkey) The meeting was called to order at 9 a.m. Minister for Finance and Economic Development of the Republic of Mauritius. Agenda item 8 (continued) Mr. Koonjul (Mauritius): It is my distinct honour General debate to introduce a pre-recorded statement by the honourable Address by Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of the Minister of the Republic of India Republic of Mauritius. The President: I give the floor to the representative The President: The Assembly will now hear an of India to introduce an address by the Prime Minister address by the Prime Minister, Minister for Home of India. Affairs, External Communications and National Mr. Tirumurti (India): It is my singular honour to Development Unit, and Minister for Finance and introduce the pre-recorded address of the Honourable Economic Development of the Republic of Mauritius. Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi. A pre-recorded video statement was shown in The President: The Assembly will now hear an the General Assembly Hall (annex II and see address by the Prime Minister of the Republic of India. A/75/592/Add.8). A pre-recorded video statement was shown in Address by Mr. Xavier Espot Zamora, Head of the General Assembly Hall (annex I and see Government of the Principality of Andorra A/75/592/Add.8). The President: I give the floor to the representative Address by Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • DHLAKAMA E MANINGUE NICE! " an Atypical
    The African e-Journals Project has digitized full text of articles of eleven social science and humanities journals. This item is from the digital archive maintained by Michigan State University Library. Find more at: http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/africanjournals/ Available through a partnership with Scroll down to read the article. ARTICLE « DHLAKAMA E MANINGUE NICE! " An Atypical Former Guerrilla in the Mozambican Electoral Campaign Michel Cahen2 Despite significant problems with urban criminal gangs and highway robbers, Mozambique is a country at peace since 4 October, 1992.3 Under the auspices of the Italian religious congregation of Santo Egidio,4 Joaquim Alberto Chissano, president of the Republic and of the Frente de libertagao de Mozambique (FRELIMO), once the 'Marxist-Leninist' single-party of the country, and Afonso Dhlakama, president of the Resistencia national de Mogambique (RENAMO), the former guerrilla group and longtime recipient of aid from South Africa, signed the 'General Peace Accord' on that date. This agreement has never seriously been called into question. During the first 15 days following the accord there were a number of incidents. For example, it contained provisions for maintaining each party's administration in their part of the country, but did not specify the zones belonging to one party or the other. As a result, a number of RENAMO regional commanders sought to occupy areas that they had not previously controlled, the largest one being Angoche in Zambezia. It appears that they had told Afonso Dhlakama that they already held these areas, and following the peace accords, they urgently sought to gain real possession of the territory in question.
    [Show full text]
  • Mozambique Has Now Enjoyed Nearly Two Decades of Peace Following A
    COUNTRIES AT THE CROSSROADS COUNTRIES AT THE CROSSROADS 2011: MOZAMBIQUE 1 ROBERT LLOYD INTRODUCTION Mozambique has now enjoyed nearly two decades of peace following a bloody 16-year civil war between the ruling party, the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), and the Mozambique Resistance Movement (RENAMO). The government jettisoned its Marxist political system and transitioned in the 1990s to capitalism. Over two decades, the country introduced a democratic constitution, permitted competitive elections with its erstwhile enemies, rebuilt from the war, reintegrated Mozambicans displaced by the war, sought closer ties in Africa and the West, and instituted far-reaching economic reforms. These policies set Mozambique on a trajectory of rapid economic growth, averaging about 7 percent per year—although that growth has done little to improve the country‘s overall level of development. Within this context, the presidential, legislative, and provincial elections on October 28, 2009, represented less change and more continuity in Mozambique‘s political life. President Armando Guebuza, a wealthy businessman with a hardline Marxist past, was reelected overwhelmingly to a second term, defeating RENAMO candidate and leader Afonso Dhlakama. A guerilla fighter for Mozambique‘s independence from Portugal, Guebuza was the government‘s chief negotiator with the RENAMO rebel movement, and oversaw the negotiations that eventually led to the 1992 peace accord that ended the civil war. Guebuza‘s reelection cemented FRELIMO‘s overwhelming control of the country. Mozambique has become a single party state as the influence of RENAMO, which transformed after the war from a rebel group into an opposition political party, has waned in each of the four national elections since 1994, especially as a new opposition group has splintered RENAMO into two groups, with many progressives joining the new party.
    [Show full text]