JK, Blair to mediate Mozambique crisis

Retired Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete speak at a past event.

What you need to know:

  • The Mozambican authorities were now waiting for the approval of retired US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Chester Crocker.

Luanda. Retired Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have agreed to mediate the Mozambican political crisis, local authorities confirmed.

The Mozambican authorities were now waiting for the approval of retired US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Chester Crocker.

The retired leaders were invited by the Maputo government to mediate a protracted political crisis. “Those are personalities who even out of power have a good reputation in their countries,” VOA Radio quoted sources from the country’s government.

VOA further quoted the Mozambique government as saying it had the same right to demand as was the case with the Opposition Renamo, which insists on the involvement of the European Union, the Catholic Church and the South Africa President Jacob Zuma in the process.

President Filipe Nyusi last month agreed to the Opposition’s demand to involve the three mediators.

Renamo President Afonso Dhlakama last week said mediators would start arriving in Maputo on Monday, but so far, none had shown up.

Renamo and the Frelimo government were yet to agree on a date for both leaders’ meeting.

The two parties have so far failed to resolve the post-October 2014 electoral disagreements.

Renamo, led by Mr Dhlakama, waged a 16-year war against Frelimo that ended in 1992, having claimed an estimated one million lives.