Portugal and Mozambique “together for peace” on the day Marcelo missed the people and selfies in Maputo
“My young [militares] They are fighting on Matemo Island, because the terrorists are trying to infiltrate, but they are taking it well” – the sentence was launched in the middle of the speech at the dinner that the President of Mozambique offered this Thursday to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. Groups invaded that archipelago, in an archipelago, and Nyus, who has just ended the fight against the “acts of terrorism” that, as of 2017, have already brought more than two thousand dead, Quirim is referenced in the Cabogado of thousands of refugees and “ destruction of social structures and rupture of the productive fabric” in Northern Mozambique.
“The fight against terrorism is just one chapter of the fight for peace. Peace is a global one that is fought here as reality is fought with the spirit of dialogue and with the principle of data of principles and values because without them peace never is”, replied, in his toast, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Portuguese President who came to Maputo to give guarantees that the war in Ukraine will not increase the Portuguese and European efforts in the fight for peace in Mozambique.
War and terrorism walked side by side in the official speeches of this first day of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s official visit. In her first statements in the morning, Ukraine Nyusi justified the UN vote condemning the Russian invasion of Russia, arguing that at least she did not vote against Russia. Marcelo, however, was drawing parallels between what is experienced in the East and in this African country. This visit is intended to serve to ensure European cooperation with Maputo and to counteract the influence.
This has been a clear concern of Portuguese Defense and diplomacy. Just this Wednesday, the Defense Minister recalled that Russia is also present “in a very destabilizing way to the south, in various parts of the African continent”, as in Mali or the Central African Republic, where Portugal has troops. Russia has deployed the forces of A Mercenary Group in Africa, a company with links to the Krem denies, but which Russian power denies. Just as Mozambique was never present at the Wagner Group in Cabo Delgado.
Mozambique’s (and Portugal’s in recent times) bet has been, however, on SADC (Community for the Development of Southern Africa), which has placed a military mission in Cabo Delgado, and on the European Union, which has created a military instruction commission in Mozambique, which Marcelo will visit on Saturday.
“We renew the appeal to the international community to continue repeating the Mozambique exercises”, asked Nyusi at this fair in which the country returned on Thursday Portugal’s “commitment” to the creation of the EU mission in this country.
“Portugal is here, bilaterally and within the framework of the EU, to guarantee the victory against terrorism for a freer, more solid and above all more peaceful”, replied Marcelo, highlighting how Portugal and Mozambique have an intense and fruitful military cooperation”.
“We are united in fundamental struggles”, said the Portuguese President, in his speech, at Ponta Vermelha Palace, where he arrived on vacation when his father occupied him as governor of Mozambique, between 1968 and 1970. The first fight is for peace.
“We are fighting for peace together”, in which the fight against terrorism is “a chapter”, continues Marcelo, who listed other “very important” combats to guarantee that peace. “There is no lasting peace without a process of economic development coming to build what two Mozambique has participating Portuguese businessmen”, referring to Visabeira’s tourist venture opening this Friday, in the special reserve area of Maputo.
“It is very important in the fields of society and education”, continues the Portuguese President, warning that “lasting social conditions for the realization of peace” are proven. Marcelo also referred to the “sanitary fight” that did not end and concluded, in a mixture of the two national anthems: “We are united marching against the cannons. Oh beloved sister homelands, we will win!”
Portuguese school party
This third visit by Marcelo to Mozambique, the country where he feels “at home” and which, after all, is not having as a pandemic, other occasions – around here, there are still and the recommendations – to feel -, but even more quickly to the Portuguese President, I miss the popular contact and the selfies from which he has been more withdrawn in the last two.
As in any African visit, drumming, chanting and dancing are present in almost every part of the presidential program. But the pop music party and selfies in Maputo, where Marcel was greeted as a pop star.
With the children and youth pitcher now ready for now, the President stepped onto what was the door of the game. He watched the choreography prepared by school employees, who even tried to get him to dance. But it shouldn’t hug more than clap. And soon, the President left for a walk around the central courtyard where he took a selfie, while the young people were shouting his name.
Also at school, Marcelo wanted peace, although without reference to what is happening in Ukraine. ““A world of selfishness is a world of war. Well, we want peace. We don’t want the supremacy of anyone over anyone. We want tolerance, we want dialogue, we want understanding. but it starts a lot in the school benches. And that’s the message I wanted to leave you”said the President in the speeches he made at the ceremony in which several school contracts were delivered, including one with his father’s name.
“It is impossible for peace to be made by just half a dozen people. It cannot be made in the heart of each person, it starts with each person’s head, it starts with each person’s will Start with each person’s will Start strengthening people Marcelo, ending: “But how do you build schools?
On the way out, more selfies, more screams from teenagers like those you hear at concerts when bands take the stage, more hugs and kisses, even with a mask on. “I’m not even going to wash my face”, said a young man fulfilling his obligation for the President, who still had an obligation to walk from school, still fulfilling his mission, new ones didn’t have their moment with Marcelo.