Maputo Accord
The Maputo Accord, officially the Maputo Accord for Peace and National Reconciliation, is a peace agreement between the Government of Mozambique and Renamo, signed on 6 August 2019, with the aim of bringing definitive peace to Mozambique. The agreement was signed by the President of the Republic of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, and the leader of Renamo, Ossufo Momade, in Maputo, and was the result of years of negotiations. It was preceded by the signing of the Agreement on the Definitive Cessation of Military Hostilities, on 1 August 2019, in Gorongosa. The Maputo Accord commits both parties to put an end to all political and military hostilities and to implement, in full, the legislative package on decentralisation. It further commits to the complete disarmament, demobilisation, and subsequent socio-economic reintegration of Renamo’s former combatants and includes provisions for the placement of former combatants in the Mozambique Armed Defence Forces (FADM) structure and in the units of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM). Background Peace negotiations began in December 2016 when President Filipe Nyusi indicated his willingness to engage in direct dialogue with the then leader of Renamo, the late Afonso Dhlakama, in order to resolve tensions that resulted in armed violent conflict restarting in 2013. The Principals launched the National Peace Process in March 2017 and established two commissions to support in resolving key issues related to decentralisation and military affairs (see Implementation Structures below) A Contact Group, chaired by then Swiss Ambassador to Mozambique, Mirko Manzoni (later appointed the United Nations Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Mozambique), was formed to coordinate the international community’s support. A Secretariat was also established in early 2017 to support the process. Agreements Over the course of the peace negotiations, President Nyusi met with Afonso Dhlakama, and his successor Ossufo Momade, on several occasions, reaching consensus on several key issues: Decentralisation On 23 May 2018, Mozambique’s parliament unanimously approved a revision of the constitution to deepen decentralisation as part of the peace negotiations between the Government and Renamo. The bill provides administrative and financial autonomy for municipal, provincial and district bodies, while issues of national interest such as defence, security and natural resources will continue to be managed at the central level. Memorandum of Understanding on Military Affairs On 6 August 2018, President Nyusi and the leader of Renamo, Ossufo Momade, signed a MoU on Military Affairs. The MoU, the first nationally and jointly agreed DDR agreement since the signing of the peace accord in 1992, outlined the road map on military affairs and the subsequent steps crucial to achieving an effective and lasting peace in Mozambique. Following the signing, President Nyusi said “the memorandum clearly outlines the roadmap for military affairs, the subsequent and decisive steps towards achieving an effective and lasting peace with regard to the disarmament, demobilisation and integration of Renamo’s armed wing”. Chief Mediator, Mirko Manzoni, who was a witness for the occasion, said that “there has been remarkable progress in the peace process and the Mozambicans should be