« Back to Accord

Dispute Resolution Committee: General Peace Agreement for Mozambique

Implementations

Dispute Resolution Committee – 1992

The Supervisory and Monitoring Commission (CSC) was appointed on 4 November 1992 to guarantee the implementation of and assume responsibility for authentic interpretation of the Agreement, settle any disputes between the parties that might arise, and guide and coordinate the activities of the other Commissions. The United Nations led the CSC with Government and RENAMO delegations, and representatives of Italy, France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The first meeting of the CSC was held on 4 November 1992, where the Ceasefire Commission (CCF), the Commission for the Reintegration of Demobilized Military Personnel (CORE), and the Joint Commission for the Formation of the Mozambican Defence Forces (CCFADM) were established.¹

The Supervision and Control Commission (CSC) met in Maputo on 25 November 1992 to discuss rules for its investigation teams should cease-fire violations occur. “Speaking to the media shortly after the meeting, Lt-Col Sinha, commander of the UN forces in Mozambique, said those rules have come into force on an interim basis. The definitive rules had still to be approved by the UN. The meeting also looked into Mozambique government and MNR [MNR] reports of violations of the Rome Peace Accords. It also drew up a plan for trips to areas where such violations are said to have occurred, so that they can be investigated” (BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, 1992).²

“Mozambique: United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ),” UN ONUMOZ, accessed September 2, 2010, http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/onumoz.htm.
“Mozambique Commission Discusses Ceasefire Implementation,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, November 27, 1992.

Dispute Resolution Committee – 1993

The Supervision and Control Commission (CSC) held a meeting on 22 January 1993 in order to discuss UN proposals concerning the confinement of government and Mozambique National Resistance [MNR – RENAMO] troops. In the meeting, the United Nations proposed that the 12 assembly points already identified should be occupied as soon as possible. The Mozambican government had already approved the proposal, though RENAMO still had to make a final decision on the matter. RENAMO believed that the accommodation of troops should begin simultaneously only after the 49 assembly points provided for in the accord had been identified.

The CSC also discussed regulations governing the various commissions and the replacement of the Humanitarian Assistance Committee. The UN Operations Team on Emergency and Humanitarian Assistance in Mozambique would replace that committee.³

Territory under RENAMO control was administered by RENAMO members. On 15 March 1993, the Mozambique National Resistance (MNR) announced in a communique issued in Maputo that it would not participate in any of the peace agreement committees until the government resolved all the administrative problems of the MNR in Maputo, challenging recent statements about government expenditure on the MNR administration in Maputo made by the Minister of Construction and Water Joao Salomao.⁴

The CSE meeting was convened by Mr. Aldo Ajello, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Chairman of the CSE, on Saturday March 6, 1993. The meeting was called to examine the report from the Chairman of the Cease-Fire Commission on an alleged cease-fire violation that the Mozambican government had reported. The Mozambique National Resistance (MNR) did not attend the meeting, which was deplored by the Commission chair.⁵

For three months, the CSE did not operate. The proceedings of the CSE resumed on June 3, 1993. The Mozambican government team was led by Mineral Resources Minister John Kachamila; Raul Domingos led the Mozambique National Resistance team to the CSC.⁶

“Other Southern African Reports; Mozambique: Commission Proposes Immediate Occupation of Assembly Points,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, January 25, 1993.
“Mozambique: MNR Stops Participation in Peace Committees until Problems Resolved,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts/The Monitoring Report (ME/1636 B/8), March 16, 1993.
“Mozambique: UN Explains and ‘Deplores’ MNR’s Absence from Meeting,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, March 10, 1993.
“Mozambique: Peace Accord Commission Resumes Work,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts/The Monitoring Report, June 4, 1993.

Dispute Resolution Committee – 1994

With the successful holding of elections in October 1994 and the departure of the UN Mission in Mozambique, the Supervision and Control Commission completed its task of monitoring the peace process and resolving any differences that arose during the peace process.