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Military Reform: General Peace Agreement for Mozambique

Implementations

Military Reform – 1992

The Supervision and Control Commission (CSC) of the Mozambique General Peace Accord (GPA) held its first meeting in the hall of the Maputo Executive Council on Nov. 4, 1992 under the guidance of Aldo Ajello, the UN Secretary-General’s interim representative in Mozambique. The meeting established working procedures for the Joint Commission for the Formation of the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces (CCFADM).¹ The Joint Commission for the Formation of the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces would be headed by army commander Tobias Dai for the government, and Mateus Ngonyamo for the Mozambique National Resistance.

The military reform was one of the most extensively developed parts of the 1992 GPA, providing for the demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration plan (DDR). Along with the DDR, the Armed Defense Force of Mozambique (FADM) was established. Yet, finding volunteers to join the army proved difficult. While the GPA agreement recommended 30,000 for the FADM, the actual number of volunteers at the time of the general election was only around one third of that number.

“Mozambique: First Meeting of Peace Agreement Supervision and Control Commission,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, November 6, 1992.

Military Reform – 1993

The Portuguese government was willing to take part in the training of the future united Mozambican Armed Forces.² The Portuguese government had allocated 460,000 Portuguese contos towards the formation of the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces. The fund was to pay for the planned operations to be carried out within the framework of the single army, notably for the renovation of the Nacala and Catembe barracks in Nampula Province and Maputo Province, respectively, where Mozambican special forces would be trained. Nogueira, the visiting Portuguese Defense Minister, said that in 1993 alone, Portugal would contribute about 900,000 Portuguese contos.³

“The Joint Commission for the Formation of the Mozambique Defence Armed Forces (CCFADM), established following the October 1992 peace treaty, reached agreement on Aug. 14 on the formation of the future Mozambique Defence Armed Forces (FADM). The documents, signed by senior officers from the government and from the Mozambique National Resistance (MNR or RENAMO), related to the timetable for the formation of the FADM, the structure of its supreme command, and guidelines on the selection of personnel to receive training at the Nyanga Military Training Centre in Zimbabwe. These guidelines were employed immediately to select 100 officers, 50 from each side, who began a 16-week course at Nyanga on Aug. 17. At the end of the course they would be required to train FADM infantry battalions. A further 540 soldiers were expected to attend the course.”.⁴

“Mozambique: Portuguese Official Says Portugal to Help With Army Training and Peace-Keeping,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, March 5, 1993.
“Mozambique: Visiting Portuguese Defence Minister on Aid for National Army,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, July 14, 1993.
“Progress in formation of unified army,” Keesing’s Record of World Events
(Volume 39), August 1993, 39585.

Military Reform – 1994

“On Aug. 24 President Joaquim Chissano, who had himself been demobilized as a general in the FPLM on Aug. 12, reported that the new FADM would have only 11,000 of its intended 30,000 members operational by the elections in October.”⁵

On December 20, 1994 it was reported by the Mozambique Information Agency (AIM) that the new Mozambique Defence Armed Forces (FADM) had trampled on the existing laws of the country and the constitution of the republic by establishing a new military judicial system.

A source cited by AIM said that the new system was a copy of the military judicial structures in force in Portugal. The new system consisted of a Supreme Military Tribunal, to which three regional military tribunals were seconded. The regional tribunals were based in Maputo, Beira, and Nampula and served southern, central, and northern Mozambique.⁶

However, Supreme Court Deputy Chairman Norberto Carrilho had described the system as being in serious violation of the constitution and existing laws. The senior Supreme Court official had warned that a declaration that the system was unconstitutional might be approved unless its authors revoked it.⁷

“Formation of new army,” Keesing’s Record of World Events (Volume 40), August 1994, 40127.
“Mozambique: Agency Reports New Military Judicial System Established,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, December 21, 1994.
“Mozambique: Supreme Court Official Describes Military Court System as ‘Unconstitutional’,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, December 29, 1994.

Military Reform – 1995

Mozambique Defence Armed Forces soldiers staged a mutiny at the Military Hospital area in Maputo on 16 March 1995. Joaquim Chissano, President of the Republic and Chief in Command of the FADM, said he did not think that the mutinies staged by soldiers in different parts of the country were politically motivated but due to a lack of civic education, which would be reintroduced into the military. He proposed to eliminate the joint command and create a direct command, resume civic education programs in the FADM forces, and adopt more sound disciplinary measures which would correspond with what is required of an army. He intended to do this without creating panic, since the new military was made up of two groups of armed forces which had previously fought each other.⁸

“Mozambique: Chissano on Changes to Armed Forces, Need for ‘Civic Education’,” BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, March 22, 1995.