Switzerland welcomes ‘milestone’ in Mozambique peace process
Switzerland, which helped mediate a 2019 peace accord in Mozambique, on Friday welcomed the successful end of that country’s disarmament and demobilisation process.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/jc
As the last military base of the RENAMO opposition movement was closed, Switzerland attended a ceremony in the capital Maputo to mark the end of demobilisation. The Alpine country was represented by Simon Geissbühler, head of the foreign ministry’s peace and human rights division.
“Switzerland congratulates the government, RENAMO and the people of Mozambique on bringing the disarmament and demobilisation process to a successful conclusion,” says a Swiss government press releaseExternal link on Friday. “This is a milestone in the efforts to establish lasting peace and stability in the country, and demonstrates the progress that has been made since the signing in August 2019 of the Maputo Accord, which was also attended by Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis.”
Since then, 5,221 ex-combatants (257 women and 4,964 men) have been demobilised and 16 RENAMO military bases have been closed, according to the press release.
Switzerland has been working closely with Mozambique during the country’s peace process, it says. Former Swiss ambassador to the southern African country Mirko Manzoni, who is now the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy to Mozambique, is seen as a key architect of the 2019 peace accord.
Mozambique suffered a 16-year civil war that broke out shortly after independence from Portugal in 1975. A UN-brokered peace deal brought an end to fighting between the ruling FRELIMO party and RENAMO rebels in 1992. But although the rebel movement became a political party, grievances remained, and in 2012 RENAMO took up arms again, undermining the economy with targeted guerrilla attacks. The 2019 peace accord seems to have been successful to date, although Mozambique still faces violence from Islamic groups in parts of the country.
While the disarmament and demobilisation process has been completed, Switzerland says it “will remain fully committed alongside the UN in implementing the other pillars of the Maputo Accord, particularly the socio-economic component”. The Swiss government continues to support a number of humanitarian and development projects in Mozambique.
Switzerland commits CHF50 million to combat rural poverty worldwide
This content was published on
The Federal Council approved a contribution of CHF49.5 million ($54.1 million) for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Arrests made in raid against Turkish criminal organisation
This content was published on
A cross-border raid against a Turkish criminal organisation was conducted, including property searches in cantons Aargau and Zurich.
Up to 4,000 Swiss army soldiers to protect Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The Federal Council has authorised deployment of army personnel for the Ukraine peace conference on the Bürgenstock in June.
This content was published on
The business association, Swissmem, reports that there are increasing signs that the bottom of the downturn will be reached this year.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Credit Suisse seeks to strike out Mozambique ‘tuna bonds’ case
This content was published on
Credit Suisse wants London’s High Court to strike out a Mozambique lawsuit over the bank’s role in the $2 billion “tuna bonds” scandal.
Development and UN cooperation at heart of Swiss Mozambique visit
This content was published on
Swiss President Alain Berset on Friday ended a visit to Mozambique which focused on bilateral ties and cooperation in the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
Outgoing Swiss mediator in Mozambique Mirko Manzoni talks about the ups and downs of the peace process, and his new role as UN envoy to the country.
‘Quite an adventure’: How the Swiss brought peace to Mozambique
This content was published on
As lead mediator of Mozambique's peace deal, Mirko Manzoni spent three years shuttling between the president and rebels in the bush.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.