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Amnesty: General Peace Agreement for Mozambique

Implementations

Amnesty – 1992

FRELIMO soldiers, RENAMO soldiers, and high command were not prosecuted for war crimes or crimes against humanity. Following parliamentary ratification on October 13, 1992, Chissano promulgated on October 14, 1992 legislation approving the actual peace treaty as well as a general political amnesty. The amnesty covered all crimes committed to date under the country’s security and military legislation, and was agreed upon under the terms of the accord, which committed both sides to release all but common criminals.¹

Except in the provision on Protocol IV.VI.3.II, amnesty was not explicitly mentioned in the 1992 General Peace Agreement, although a blanket amnesty was given for both sides. This was the principle of the peace process. According to both Harsch² and Cobban, the 1992 peace accord in Mozambique contained a blanket amnesty for everyone, on all sides.³

“Signature of peace treaty,” Keesing’s Record of World Events (Volume 38), October 1992, 39129.
Ernest Harsch, “Reintegration of Ex-Combatants: When War Ends: Transforming Africa’s Fighters into Builders,” Africa Renewal 19, no. 3 (2005).
Helena Cobban, Amnesty after Atrocity? Healing Nations after Genocide and War Crimes (Paradigm Publishers, 2007); Helena Cobban, “Healing lessons from another war-torn society —Mozambique,” Christian Science Monitor, May 8, 2003, http://helenacobban.org/03-05-08-healing-from-Mozambique.htm.