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Verification/Monitoring Mechanism: General Peace Agreement for Mozambique

Implementations

Verification/Monitoring Mechanism – 1992

The General Peace Agreement (GPA) for Mozambique had a provision for UN peacekeeping. As soon as the peace agreement was signed, and before the establishment of the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ), the interim Special Representative and a team of 21 military observers, drawn from existing United Nations peacekeeping missions, arrived in Mozambique on 15 October 1992.¹

“On 16 December 1992, the Security Council, by its resolution 797 (1992), approved the Secretary-General’s report and decided to establish ONUMOZ until 31 October 1993. The Council endorsed the Secretary-General’s recommendation that the elections not take place until the military aspects of the General Peace Agreement had been fully implemented. It called upon the Mozambican Government and RENAMO to cooperate fully with the United Nations and to respect scrupulously the ceasefire and their obligations under the Agreement.”² The mandate of ONUMOZ included four important elements: political, military, electoral and humanitarian.

“On 4 November 1992, the interim Special Representative appointed the Supervisory and Monitoring Commission (CSC). CSC was to guarantee the implementation of the Agreement, assume responsibility for authentic interpretation of it, settle any disputes that might arise between the parties and guide and coordinate the activities of the other Commissions. It was chaired by the United Nations and was initially composed of Government and RENAMO delegations, with representatives of Italy (the mediator State), France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States (observer States at the Rome talks) and the Organization of African Unity (OAU). In December 1992, Germany also became a member of CSC. CSC held its first meeting on 4 November 1992 and appointed the main subsidiary commissions: the Ceasefire Commission (CCF), the Commission for the Reintegration of Demobilized Military Personnel (CORE), as well as the Joint Commission for the Formation of the Mozambican Defence Forces (CCFADM).”³

“Mozambique — United Nations Operation in Mozambique — ONUMOZ,” United Nations, accessed September 2, 2010, http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/onumoz.htm.
“Mozambique – ONUMOZ Background,” United Nations, accessed June 4, 2010, http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/onumozFT.htm.
Ibid.

Verification/Monitoring Mechanism – 1993

By the beginning of May 1993, ONUMOZ was fully deployed and its military infrastructure established in all three operational regions. It verified the violations of ceasefire by both sides to the conflict and monitored the situations with strong military and police components. Its maximum military strength as of 30 November 1993 was 6,576 combatants from all ranks.¹

Ibid.

Verification/Monitoring Mechanism – 1994

ONUMOZ verification continued in 1994. As of 31 October 1994, it had a strong civilian police component of 1,087 police observers stationed all over Mozambique to monitor the situation, especially issues related to human rights violations by the state police force. The UN verification mission was completed as soon as the post-conflict elections took place and election results were announced. The mission left Mozambique on December 1994.¹

Ibid.