NELSPRUIT – “ This conflict has no military solution, the only way is through dialogue.” These were the words of Sheikh Ameen Udeen, president of the Islamic Council of Mozambique. Udeen has been mediating between the government of Mozambique and Renamo.
Udeen spoke to Lowvelder on Tuesday about the current political situation and kidnappings that had plagued the neighbouring country.
Yet in the latest media reports, Renamo, boycotted yet another session of dialogue called by the government on Monday morning.
Transport Minister Gabriel Muthisse, standing in for Agriculture Minister Jose Pacheco as head of the government delegation, arrived on time at Maputo’s Joaquim Chissano Conference Centre, and waited fruitlessly for Renamo to appear.
Udeen stated that the government refuses to get international mediators to the negotiations and Renamo insists that they will only meet the government for talks when they do have international intermediaries.
Udeen said the political and kidnapping situation which are growing in the country is not stopping, therefore people are leaving Mozambique.
“The internal war is about to start just as the economical growth was very good, now many people are fearful to invest in the country.”
He said the politicians were seeing the decline in economy, but were not taking quick steps to rectify the situation.
Udeen denied rumours that Renamo was behind the kidnappings and stated that they were purely from organised criminal syndicates and nothing to do with the political situation in the country.
Meanwhile, media reported that the European Union had condemned the incursion by Renamo gunmen into Homoine district, in the southern province of Inhambane last week and viewed it as “representing a spread of insecurity from the centre of Mozambique to the south”.
Listen here:
Sheikh Ameen Udeen, president of the Islamic Council of Mozambique who is also mediating between Renamo and the Mozambican government, speaks to Lowvelder about the current political situation taking place in the country.
