Protocol I- Basic Principles

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Country/entity: Mozambique
Region: Africa (excl MENA)
Agreement name: Protocol I- Basic Principles
Date: 18 Oct 1991
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Mozambique Civil War (1976 – 1992) and RENAMO Insurgency (2012 – )
The Mozambique conflict has roots in the independence movement launched by the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) (est. 1962) against Portuguese colonization. Despite the insurgency, independence only came a year after a military coup d’état in Lisbon overthrew the longstanding ‘Estado Novo’ dictatorship. Nonetheless, FRELIMO installed itself as the ruling party and officially became a Marxist-Leninist party in 1977. Fierce fighting broke out in the Cold War context, between the FRELIMO, supported by the Soviet Bloc, and the anti-Communist Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO) movement, which received funding from neighbouring ‘white’ regimes in Rhodesia and later on, South Africa. After the death of President Somaro Moises Machel in a plane crash in 1986, the presidency passed to Joaquim Alberto Chissano who encouraged political pluralism, particularly following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989. Following the Rome Peace Accords in 1992, FRELIMO won the country’s first multi-party election in 1994.

Political tensions began to rise after the 2002 presidential elections, which RENAMO argued were fraudulent. These continued until a low-level outbreak of violence by RENAMO fighters targeting police and economic infrastructure. A new peace accord was signed between RENAMO and FRELIMO in September 2014, but RENAMO’s later refusal to accept the terms of the 2014 Presidential election, as well as government difficulties in disarming RENAMO fighters led to a breakdown of the accord in August 2015. Since then, clashes have renewed between the two parties.
Stage: Implementation/renegotiation
Conflict nature: Government
Peace process: Mozambique process in the 90s
Parties: For the delegation of the Government of the Republic of Mozambique: Armando Emilio Guebuza;
For the delegation of RENAMO: Raul Manuel Domingos;
Third parties: The mediators:
Mario Raffaelli;
Jaime Gonçalves;
Andrea Riccardi;
Matteo Zuppi;
Description: Protocol I of the General Peace Agreement for Mozambique. This protocol sets out the Basic Principles for negotiations, with the Government undertaking to refrain from any action contrary to the Protocols and Renamo agreeing to refrain from armed struggle. Both parties affirm their commitment to concluding the General Peace Agreement as soon as possible and agree the Protocols would form an integral part of that agreement.

Agreement document: MZ_911018_General Peace Agreement Protocol I Basic Principles.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: Page 1,
5. The parties agree on the principle of establishing a commission to supervise and monitor compliance with the General Peace Agreement. The commission shall be composed of representatives of the Government, RENAMO, the United Nations and other organizations or Governments to be agreed upon between the parties.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: Page 1,
3. The two parties commit themselves to concluding as soon as possible a General Peace Agreement, containing Protocols on each of the items of the agenda adopted on 28 May 1991 and to take the necessary steps to that end. In that connection, the Government shall endeavour not to hamper international travel by representatives of RENAMO and external contacts of RENAMO in connection with the peace negotiations. Contacts within the country between RENAMO and the mediators or the members of the Joint Verification Commission shall likewise be permitted for the same purpose. Specific arrangements for such contacts shall be made on a case-by-case basis in response to requests by the mediators to the Government.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: Security sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provision
Page 1,
2. RENAMO, for its part, undertakes, beginning on the date of entry into force of the cease-fire, to refrain from armed combat and instead to conduct its political struggle in conformity with the laws in force, within the framework of the existing State institutions and in accordance with the conditions and guarantees established in the General Peace Agreement.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: Page 1, 2.
RENAMO, for its part, undertakes, beginning on the date of entry into force of the cease-fire, to refrain from armed combat and instead to conduct its political struggle in conformity with the laws in force, within the framework of the existing State institutions and in accordance with the conditions and guarantees established in the General Peace Agreement.

Page 1, 3.
The two parties commit themselves to concluding as soon as possible a General Peace Agreement, containing Protocols on each of the items of the agenda adopted on 28 May 1991 and to take the necessary steps to that end. In that connection, the Government shall endeavour not to hamper international travel by representatives of RENAMO and external contacts of RENAMO in connection with the peace negotiations. Contacts within the country between RENAMO and the mediators or the members of the Joint Verification Commission shall likewise be permitted for the same purpose. Specific arrangements for such contacts shall be made on a case-by case basis in response to requests by the mediators to the Government.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: [Mediators: Mario Raffaeli (Italian Government), Jaime Goncalves (Archbishop of Beira), Andrea Riccardi, and Matteo Zuppi (Sant'Egidio)] The mediators: Mario Raffaelli; Jaime Gonçalves; Andrea Riccardi; Matteo Zuppi;
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: Page 2, 5.
The parties agree on the principle of establishing a commission to supervise and monitor compliance with the General Peace Agreement. The commission shall be composed of representatives of the Government, RENAMO, the United Nations and other organizations or Governments to be agreed upon between the parties.
Enforcement mechanism: Page 2, 5.
The parties agree on the principle of establishing a commission to supervise and monitor compliance with the General Peace Agreement. The commission shall be composed of representatives of the Government, RENAMO, the United Nations and other organizations or Governments to be agreed upon between the parties.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Conciliation Resources Accord https://rc-services-assets.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/The_Mozambican_Peace_Process_in_Perspective_Accord_Issue_3.pdf

PROTOCOL I

BASIC PRINCIPLES

On 18 October 1991, the delegation of the Government of the Republic of

Mozambique, headed by Armanda Emilio Guebuza, Minister of Transport and

Communications, and composed of Aguiar Mazula, Minister of State

Administration, Teodato Hunguana, Minister of Labour, and Francisco Madeira,

Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the Republic, and the delegation of

RENAMO, headed by Raul Manuel Domingos, Chief of the External Relations

Department, and composed of Vicente Zacarias Ululu, Chief of the Information

Department, Agostinho Semende Murrial, Deputy Chief of the Political Affairs

Department and Joao Francisco Almirante, member of the President's cabinet,

meeting at Rome in the context of the peace talks, in the presence of the

mediators, Mario Raffaelli, representative of the Government of the Italian

Republic and coordinator of the mediators, Jaime Gonçalves, Archbishop of

Beira, Andrea Riccardi and Matteo Zuppi of the Community of San Egidio;

Determined to secure the higher interests of the Mozambican people,

reaffirm that dialogue and collaboration are the indispensable means of

achieving a lasting peace in the country.

Accordingly:

1. 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.

2. RENAMO, for its part, undertakes, beginning on the date of entry into

force of the cease-fire, to refrain from armed combat and instead to conduct

its political struggle in conformity with the laws in force, within the

framework of the existing State institutions and in accordance with the

conditions and guarantees established in the General Peace Agreement.

3. The two parties commit themselves to concluding as soon as possible a

General Peace Agreement, containing Protocols on each of the items of the

agenda adopted on 28 May 1991 and to take the necessary steps to that end.

that connection, the Government shall endeavour not to hamper international

travel by representatives of RENAMO and external contacts of RENAMO in

connection with the peace negotiations.

Contacts within the country between

RENAMO and the mediators or the members of the Joint Verif ication Commission

shall likewise be permitted for the same purpose.

Specific arrangements for

such contacts shall be made on a case-by-case hasis in response to requests by

the mediators to the Government.

4. The Protocols to be concluded in the course of these negotiations shall

form an integral part of the General Peace Agreement and shall enter into

force on the date of signature of the Agreement, with the exception of

paragraph 3 of this Protocol, which shall enter into force immediately.

5. The parties agree on the principle of establishing a commission to

supervise and monitor compliance with the General Peace Agreement.

The

commission shall be composed of representatives of the Government, RENAMO, the

United Nations and other organizations or Governments to be agreed upon

between the parties.

For the delegation of the Government

of the Republic of Mozambigue:

(Signed) Armando Emilio Guebuza

The mediators:

For the delegation of RENAMO:

(Signed) Raul Manuel Domingos

(Signed) Mario Raffaelli

(Signed) Jaime Gonçalves

(Signed) Andrea Riccardi

(Signed) Matteo Zuppi

Done at San Egidio, Rome, on 18 October 1991