The President made the comments yesterday as he witnessed the signing of the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement between the Government of Mozambique and the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO).
“Rwanda will continue to stand with Mozambique as a friend and a brotherly country. We are also partners in another important struggle, namely the one to integrate and transform our continent as a whole,” he said.
“We look forward to deepening the fraternal ties between our countries, and our regions, in the years ahead. Once again, on behalf of the people of Rwanda, congratulations and best wishes,” added Kagame.
He congratulated President Nyusi and the Mozambican Government, as well as the leadership of RENAMO for successfully concluding the peace talk and emphasized that these agreements have a great significance to the people of Mozambique bringing the promise to an end to decades of conflict and uncertainty, and the renewal of national unity and cohesion.
Even if previous efforts have not succeeded, Kagame said, it is never a waste to give a shot to peace one more time highlighting that the achievement matters to all Africans.
“It shows that we can find solutions to our problems, no matter how protracted and difficult. Dialogue and inclusion cannot be imposed from outside. And once consensus is reached, it can only be sustained from within,” he stressed.
Kagame reiterated that Mozambicans have come together to turn the page and advised that nothing should prevent the country from achieving even more, in terms of development and well-being for citizens.
Rwanda and Mozambique enjoy good relationships. In 2016 and 2018, both countries signed cooperation agreements in politics, governance, tourism, agriculture, mining, air transport services, promoting investment, science and technology, and professional training.
In July 2018, Mozambique president, Filipe Nyusi visited Rwanda following president Paul Kagame’s visit to Mozambique in 2016 when he talked to investors and invited them to invest in Rwanda.
Today, Mozambique accommodates over 3500 Rwandans involved in different businesses
The ceremony of signing peace agreements was graced by numerous dignitaries including President Paul Kagame, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Edgar Lungu of Zambia, the President of Namibia Hage Geingob, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mousa Faki Mahamat and the former President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete among others.
The agreements are expected to put an end to 16-year long war between both parties that has taken the lives of over 1 million people and ravaging the economy. The RENAMO insurgency was a guerrilla campaign by militants of the RENAMO party in Mozambique.
The insurgency is widely considered to be an aftershock of the Mozambican Civil War; it resulted in renewed tensions between RENAMO and Mozambique’s ruling FRELIMO coalition over charges of state corruption and the disputed results of 2014 general elections.
A ceasefire was announced between the government and the rebels in September 2014. However, renewed tensions sparked violence in mid-2015.
On August 1, 2019, President Filipe Nyusi and RENAMO leader Ossufo Momade signed a peace agreement at RENAMO’s remote military base in the Gorongosa mountains which brought an end to hostilities. The last remaining REMANO fighters afterward surrendered their weapons.er of equipment.
RENAMO started disarming its soldiers last week following fruitful negotiations of peace agreements to operate as a political party.
Some of the disarmed rebels will be integrated into Mozambique military and police forces while others will be integrated into the community.
Over 5200 RENAMO fighters are expected to abandon hostilities.
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