BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Eswatini Government is hopeful that lasting solutions that will be found soon to end the political tensions that are happening in the Republic of Mozambique.
This was said by Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo today (Tuesday, November 12, 2024) when asked to share Government’s position on the tensions currently prevailing in the neighbouring country. Tensions ensued in Mozambique last month, after Daniel Chapo, who was FRELIMO’s candidate, was elected as President of that country. He is expected to be inaugurated in January next year as Mozambique’s President, replacing current President Felipe Nyusi.
According to Mozambique’s National Elections Commission, Chapo won with 70.67 percent of the national vote, followed by independent candidate Venancio Mondlane, with 20.32 percent of the vote. The candidate of the opposition party RENAMO, Ossufo Momade, came third with 5.81 percent of the total votes.
According to international media outlets, the tensions resulted in the deaths of around 30 people now, as opposition candidates felt the elections were being rigged, with some natives of that country taking up arms on the matter. This unfortunate development has provoked concerns from Eswatini Government, which has since called for peaceful settlements on the matter. According to Nxumalo, this situation did not negatively affect Mozambique and its neighbouring states, but the entire SADC region was affected.
“There is absolutely no doubt that the post- elections political developments in the Republic of Mozambique are very disturbing and of grave concern not only to the Kingdom of Eswatini as one of the neighboring States to that country, but also to the entire SADC family,” Nxumalo said. Nxumalo reminded the nation that Mozambique once engaged on a brutal civil war, which lasted for about 15 years, resulting in the influx of Mozambican nationals into countries neighbouring Mozambique, including Eswatini.
According to international news outlets, the civil war was fought from 1977, two years after that country gained independence from Portugal. The war lasted until 1992. It was fought mainly between the ruling Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO) and the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO). By then out of a total population of 13-15 million at the time, the Mozambican civil war had caused about one million deaths, displaced 5.7 million internally and resulted with 1.7 million refugees.
A considerable amount of the 1.7 million refugees entered Eswatini, to find safety in the country. According to local political commentators and journalists, this happened back in the 1980s, resulting in an intervention by His Majesty King Sobhuza II and later, His Majesty King Mswati III.
A refugee camp, according to these local commentators and journalists, was built in Ndzevane, just next to Big Bend, in the Lubombo Region, to cater for the Mozambican refugees. Nxumalo also confirmed that indeed, there was an influx of Mozambicans at the time into the country.
“Indeed, the situation is now reminiscent of the years of the civil war of the 1980s. The Kingdom of Eswatini then saw an influx of that country’s citizens escaping the repercussions of the war,” he said.
Nxumalo further mentioned that Government just hoped that the people of Mozambique would soon work around the current volatile situation and find amicable and permanent solutions to the dispute concerning the elections results.
“Mozambique, for all practical purposes and intents, cannot afford another raging conflict that will further harm and derail the development initiatives that are in place. It’s a great country and it needs support from all Fronts to restore peace and prevent further escalations going forward,” Nxumalo pointed out.
He mentioned that the Cabo Delgado terror conflict (which started in 2017 to this day) was disturbing enough, and another conflict at national level remained completely unacceptable. He imagined how the situation would have negative impact on many people and communities. According to Voice of America (VOA) News, the Cabo Delgado conflict is between Mozambique’s Defence Force and some jihadists who are said to be keen on establishing an Islamic state around the province. This started after natural resources such as oil and natural gas were discovered in that region.
Nxumalo said the country prayed for all these conflicts to stop. “The Kingdom of Eswatini prays for the Republic of Mozambique and stand by both the people and leadership of the Republic in support for a speedy and permanent solution to the causes of the present tensions in the country,” Nxumalo concluded.
