General Peace Agreement for Mozambique
Declaration on the Guiding Principles for Humanitarian Assistance
On 16 July 1992, the delegation of the Government of the Republic of Mozambique, headed by Armando Emilio Guebuza, Minister of,Transport and Communications, and the delegation of Renamo, headed by Raul Manuel Domingos, Chief of the organization Department, in the presence of the mediators, of observers and of representatives of international organizations, agreed to adopt the following Declaration:
Considering that, for the population, the consequences of the armed conflict have been seriously aggravated by the worst drought in 50 years in the country and the region,
Determined to mobilise every resource to alleviate starvation and prevent deaths in Mozambique,
While pursuing efforts to reach a total peace agreement in Mozambique as soon as possible,
Reaffirming the principles for humanitarian assistance contained in resolution 46/182 of the United Nations General Assembly,
Reaffirming the understanding reached in December 1990 between the Government, Renamo and the International Committee of the Red Cross on the principles of free movement of populations and assistance for all Mozambicans wherever they might be,
I. The Government and Renamo solemnly agree and undertake to observe the following guiding principles for humanitarian assistance:
(a) Assistance shall go to all affected Mozambicans, freely and without discrimination;
(b) Freedom of movement and respect shall be guaranteed for persons and means which, under the flag of the United Nations or of ICRC, are engaged in humanitarian actions and are not accompanied by military escorts;
(c) The freedom and neutrality of humanitarian assistance shall be recognized and respected;
(d) Access shall be permitted to the entire affected population, using all means of transport;
(e) The use of all means for the rapid, expeditious distribution of humanitarian assistance shall be permitted and facilitated;
(f) Freedom of movement shall be guaranteed for all personnel who, under United Nations/ICRC auspices, are responsible for identifying populations in need, priority areas, means of transport and access routes and for supervising the distribution of assistance;
(g) Persons shall be allowed freedom of movement to enable them to have full access to humanitarian assistance.
II. In order to provide relief in situations of extreme urgency, which already exist in the country, the parties agree to:
(a) Immediately permit and facilitate air traffic to all points in the country, for transporting humanitarian assistance and whatever personnel is considered necessary and viable;
(b) To the same end, to permit and facilitate the immediate use and rehabilitation, where necessary, of other access routes to affected populations, including routes coming from neighbouring countries, as agreed to by the parties and communicated by the committee referred to in paragraph V of this Declaration.
III. In addition, the Government and Renamo will continue their negotiations with a view to reaching, as soon as possible, an agreement on the opening of roads and the removal of all obstacles which might prevent the distribution of humanitarian assistance.
IV. The Government and Renamo undertake not to derive military advantages from humanitarian assistance operations carried out under this Declaration.
V. Both parties agree that the co-ordination and supervision of all humanitarian assistance operations carried out under this Declaration shall be the responsibility of a committee presided over by the United Nations. This committee shall be made up of the mediators, the observers to the Rome negotiations and ICRC. The mediators will also have the task of verifying respect for this declaration and for bringing any complaints or protests to the negotiating table.
The committee will report to the parties, in due course, on the operational details.
VI. Both parties agree to participate and cooperate with the international community in Mozambique in formulating action plans, with a view to implementing such plans in accordance with this Declaration. The committee will co-ordinate such activities. To that end, Renamo will appoint its representative in the framework of and in accordance with the procedures of the COMIVE, who shall have the status provided for therein. VII. Both parties undertake to comply strictly with the terms of this Declaration and agree that any violation substantiated by the committee may be communicated to the international community.
VIII. This Declaration shall be disseminated as widely as possible in Mozambique.
For the delegation of the Go vernment of the Republic of Mozambique:
(Signed) Armando Emilio Guebuza
For the delegation of Renamo:
(Signed) Raul Manuel Domingos
The mediators:
(Signed) Mario Raffaelli
(Signed) Jaime Goncalves
(Signed) Andrea Riccardi
(Signed) Matteo Zuppi
Done at Sant’ Edigio, Rome, on 16 July 1992
We, Joaquim Alberto Chissano, President of the Republic of Mozambique, and Afonso Macacho Marceta Dhlakama, President of Renamo,
Meeting at Rome in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe: His Excellency Mr. Emilio Colombo, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Italy: the representative of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Botswana, Ms. Gaositwe Keagakwa Tibe Chiepe, Minister for Foreign Affairs: the mediators of the peace process, Mario Raffaelli, representative of the Italian Government and coordinator of the mediators, Jaime Goncalves, Archbishop of Beira, Andrea Riccardi and Matteo Zuppi, of the Community of Sant’ Edigio,
recognizing that
The achievement of peace, democracy and national unity based on national reconciliation is the greatest aspiration and desire of the entire Mozambican people,
In pursuit of this goal, the peace process was launched at Rome between the Government of the Republic of Mozambique and Renamo, assisted by mediators from the Italian Government, the Community of Sant’ Edigio and the Catholic Church of Mozambique,
Important results have been achieved thus far, as exemplified and demonstrated by the signing of the partial ceasefire agreement of 1 December 1990 and the adoption of the following Protocols and agreements: (i) Agreed Agenda of 28 May 1991, and the amendments made thereto by the Act of 19 June 1992;
(ii) Protocol I "Basic principles", signed on 18 October 1991;
(iii) Protocol II "Criteria and arrangements for the formation and recognition of political parties", signed on 13 November 1991;
(iv) Protocol III "Principles of the Electoral Act", signed on 12 March 1992;
(v) Act of 2 July 1992 on improving the functioning of the COMIVE;
(vi) Declaration on guiding principles for humanitarian assistance, signed on 16 July 1992.
Supplementing these efforts in the search for peace, democracy and national unity based on reconciliation in Mozambique, a meeting was held at Gaborone, Botswana, on 4 July 1992 between His Excellency Mr. Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and His Excellency Sir Ketumile Masire, President of the Republic of Botswana, on the one hand, and Mr. Afonso Macacho Marceto Dhlakama, President of Renamo, on the other,
Following which the President of the Republic of Mozambique, MR. Joaquim Alberto Chissano, was briefed in detail by the President of Zimbabwe on 19 July 1992,
Whereas Mr. Afonso Macacho Marceto Dhlakama declared his readiness to sign an immediate ceasefire if certain guarantees were provided and arrangements were made for the security of both himself and members of Renamo, and if his party was given freedom to organize and campaign without interference or hindrance,
Considering his request for guarantees to enable Renamo to operate freely as a political party after the signing of the General Peace Agreement,
Convinced that the suffering of the Mozambican people as a result of the war, exacerbated by the consequences of the worst drought in living memory, demands that rapid steps be taken to end the war,
recognizing the need for the immediate restoration of peace in Mozambique,
Reaffirming the commitment of the Government of the Republic of Mozambique and of Renamo to end the hostilities in Mozambique,
Determined to do everything possible to end the disaster brought about by the combined consequences of war and drought in our country, Appreciating the progress made in Rome peace negotiations between our respective delegations,
Considering the spirit of the Gaborone meeting of 4 July 1992,
Accordingly, commit ourselves to the following:
(i) To guarantee conditions permitting complete political freedom, in accordance with the internationally recognized principles of democracy;
(ii) To guarantee the personal safety of all Mozambican citizens and all members of political parties;
(iii) To accept the role of the international community, particularly the United Nations, in monitoring and guaranteeing the implementation of the General Peace Agreement, particularly the ceasefire and the electoral process;
(iv) Fully to respect the principles set forth in Protocol I, under which "the Government undertakes to refrain from taking any action that is contrary to the provisions of the Protocols to be concluded and from adopting laws or measures or applying existing laws which may be inconsistent with those Protocols" and "Renamo undertakes to refrain from armed combat and instead to conduct its political struggle in conformity with the laws in force, within the framework of existing State institutions and in accordance with the conditions and guarantees established in the General Peace Agreement";
(v) To safeguard political rights, emphasising that the principles set forth in Protocol I are valid and also relate to the problem of constitutional guarantees raised by Renamo and dealt with in the document submitted to President Mugabe. To this end, the Government of the Republic of Mozambique shall submit to the Assembly of the Republic for adoption legal instruments incorporating the Protocols and guarantees, as well as the General Peace Agreement, in Mozambican law;
(vi) On the basis of the above principles and of our commitment made in this solemn Declaration, we, Joaquim Alberto Chissano, President of the Republic of Mozambique, and Afonso Macacho Marceta Dhlakama, President of Renamo, hereby authorise and instruct our respective delegations participating in the Rome peace process to conclude, by 1 October 1992 at the latest, the remaining Protocols provided for in the Agreed Agenda, thereby permitting the signing of the General Peace Agreement by that date.
The signing of the General Peace Agreement and its adoption by the Assembly of the Republic as provided for in paragraph (v) (on this page) of this Declaration shall result in the immediate entry into force of the ceasefire agreed to under the General Peace Agreement.
(Signed) Joaquim Alberto Chissano President of the Republic of Mozambique
(Signed) Afonso Macacho Marceta Dhlakama President of Renamo
(Signed) Robert Gabriel Mugabe President of the Republic of Zimbabwe
Witnessed by:
(Signed) Gaositwe Keagakwa Tibe Chiepe Minister for Foreign Affairs of Botswana
and by the mediators:
(Signed) Mario Raffaelli
(Signed) Jaime Goncalves
(Signed) Andrea Riccardi
(Signed) Matteo Zuppi
Rome, 7 August 1992
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