Mozambique: Portugal’s PM announces 40% increase in cooperation prog.

Photo: Notícias

Portugal’s prime minister, António Costa, announced on Thursday a 40% increase in the funds allocated to projects under the Strategic Cooperation Programme with Mozambique, representing more than €90 million.

“Within the scope of this summit, we can reinforce the amount of the next Strategic Cooperation Programme [PEC] 2022-2026, which is the foundation of our strategic partnership between Mozambique and Portugal and will thus have a 40% increase in the funds dedicated to programmes, projects and actions, which will exceed €90 million,” he announced.

Costa made this announcement in Maputo at a press conference at the end of a meeting with the president of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, as part of the 5th Luso-Moçambican Summit.

The PEC, signed in November 2021, is for five years. Costa said it “will focus on traditional areas of sovereignty, such as defence, justice, internal administration,” and “deepens and renews cooperation in the strategic areas of education and health.

Photo: Notícias

Indicating that until 2021 the PEC “spent €135 million”, Costa added that the new framework foresees “€185 million”.

Considering that the future “necessarily involves strengthening economic relations,” Costa also said that as part of the 5th Luso-Moçambican Summit, “two instruments to support business investment in Mozambique, the business fund for cooperation and the specific programme for business investment in Mozambique,” would be reviewed and modernised.

Costa added that, on the sidelines of the summit, the “Lusophone Compact” would be signed, a programme through which Portugal will provide guarantees of €400 million in funding from the African Development Bank for business investment in the community of Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP).

The Portuguese prime minister also noted two other protocols that would be signed on Friday and that “aim to strengthen the development potential of the Cabo Delgado region,” with the installation of “a research centre dedicated to gas and oil and a vocational training programme in the area of gas, which will be aimed at around 1,200 young Mozambicans.

Mozambique: Portugal’s PM announces 40% increase in cooperation prog. – Watch

11:42 CAT | 02 Sep 2022

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Photo: Notícias

Portugal’s prime minister, António Costa, announced on Thursday a 40% increase in the funds allocated to projects under the Strategic Cooperation Programme with Mozambique, representing more than €90 million.

“Within the scope of this summit, we can reinforce the amount of the next Strategic Cooperation Programme [PEC] 2022-2026, which is the foundation of our strategic partnership between Mozambique and Portugal and will thus have a 40% increase in the funds dedicated to programmes, projects and actions, which will exceed €90 million,” he announced.

Costa made this announcement in Maputo at a press conference at the end of a meeting with the president of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, as part of the 5th Luso-Moçambican Summit.

The PEC, signed in November 2021, is for five years. Costa said it “will focus on traditional areas of sovereignty, such as defence, justice, internal administration,” and “deepens and renews cooperation in the strategic areas of education and health.

Photo: Notícias

Indicating that until 2021 the PEC “spent €135 million”, Costa added that the new framework foresees “€185 million”.

Considering that the future “necessarily involves strengthening economic relations,” Costa also said that as part of the 5th Luso-Moçambican Summit, “two instruments to support business investment in Mozambique, the business fund for cooperation and the specific programme for business investment in Mozambique,” would be reviewed and modernised.

Costa added that, on the sidelines of the summit, the “Lusophone Compact” would be signed, a programme through which Portugal will provide guarantees of €400 million in funding from the African Development Bank for business investment in the community of Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP).

The Portuguese prime minister also noted two other protocols that would be signed on Friday and that “aim to strengthen the development potential of the Cabo Delgado region,” with the installation of “a research centre dedicated to gas and oil and a vocational training programme in the area of gas, which will be aimed at around 1,200 young Mozambicans.

Photo: Domingo

“We are fighting terrorism not only from a military and humanitarian point of view but also from the point of view of the region’s development,” he noted.

Costa considered that Mozambique “has enormous potential from an agricultural point of view”.

“And if humanity faces a huge challenge in its energy transition, it faces no less of a challenge from the point of view of food security, and so diversification, increase and quality of food is an ever greater challenge and where Mozambique has a decisive role,” he told reporters.

The governments of Portugal and Mozambique signed six cooperation protocols on Thursday as part of the 5th Luso-Moçambican Summit in education, heritage rehabilitation, technical and operational skills of the Mozambican security forces and services, justice and agriculture.

“On all fronts, from the point of view of political cooperation, military cooperation in the fight against terrorism, development in the area of health or education, or from the point of view of economic relations, this 5th summit will certainly be a significant milestone in our relations,” Costa said.

Drawing a picture of the situation in Mozambique compared to the last summit in 2019, the prime minister said that the country “has a new framework, frankly favourable to investment,” particularly by Portuguese companies, with the resumption of financial support from the International Monetary Fund after the hidden debts’ scandal) and the retreat of terrorism

Photo: Robert Allan Ltd

Turkey’s Uzmar Shipyard has completed construction on three purpose-designed tugs to be operated in Mozambique by Dutch towage company Smit Lamnalco.

The Bureau Veritas-classed sisters SL Ibo, SL Matemo, and SL Macaloe were specifically designed by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd for operation in the offshore area near the northeast coast of Pemba, Mozambique. 

The three tugs will be working together with one multi-purpose vessel as a fleet in support of FLNG operation, providing berthing and unberthing assistance to LNG carriers and condensate tankers, and as holdback tugs during cargo transfer operations.

The Marshall Islands-flagged tugs each have an LOA of 42 metres, a moulded beam of 16 metres, and a maximum draught of seven metres.

 The two Anglo Belgian Corporation 12V DZC-166-1000 2,900kW diesel engines on each tug drive Kongsberg controllable-pitch propellers to deliver a bollard pull of 93 tonnes and a free running speed of 14 knots. In addition to the main propulsion, there is also a Kongsberg electric motor-driven, drop down azimuthing bow thruster.

The tugs were designed to have good seakeeping and are capable of performing the berthing and unberthing services in open water. 

A U-tube anti-roll tank is incorporated and arranged to significantly reduce roll motions and improve seakeeping performance in offshore operations.

The tugs have been outfitted for safe and efficient performance of ship handling.

 The deck machinery comprises a Brattvaag escort winch and two hydraulic vertical anchor windlasses at the bow. 

The escort winch is spooled with a high-performance synthetic towline on each drum.

A towing hook, tow pin, and two tugger winches are provided on the aft deck. An aft towing winch is also provided for SL Macaloe.

 In addition, a deck crane is also provided for deck cargo handling. The aft deck is designed to load up to 100 tonnes of assorted cargo.

The tugs have extensive ship-handling fendering, consisting of a cylindrical bow fender of one metre in diameter at the forecastle deck level and W-block fenders at the stern, with D-fender installed along the sheer lines at the forecastle deck and main deck.

The vessels have been designed to have a full-height forecastle deck with one tier of deckhouse above the forecastle deck and below the wheelhouse. They also have each been outfitted for an operating crew of up to 12. The crew cabins, galley, and mess are spaciously arranged in the deckhouse and forecastle deck.

The cabins are isolated from the machinery space to provide quiet and comfortable living spaces for the crew. A gym and an accommodation area for rescued survivors are arranged on the lower deck.

Power for all onboard systems on each tug is supplied by three Caterpillar C18 generators. A Caterpillar C4.4 emergency generator is also fitted.

The new tugs are also equipped for firefighting, oil spill recovery, and standby rescue duties with capacity for up to 20 rescued survivors on each.

Source: Baird Maritime

Mozambique: Construction of petrol stations is prohibited in all provincial capitals and on the Maputo Ring Road

The National Directorate of Hydrocarbons (DNH) issued a note banning the construction of fuel pumps in all provincial capitals and on the Maputo Ring Road..

The decision to ban the implementation of projects of this nature aims to, according to the DNH,  guarantee the safety of goods and people, as well as the protection of the environment in all activities related to petroleum products.

“The National Directorate of Hydrocarbons, in accordance with paragraph 2 of article 5 of Decree 89/2019 of 18 October, communicates to the Provincial Infrastructure Service and to all those involved in the issuance of gas station licensing of Fuel Supply which, due to the proliferation of Fuel Service Stations in spaces located in zone A, specifically in the areas of capital cities, and the Maputo Ring Road, [there is] a ban on the implementation of projects of this nature with a view to guaranteeing the safety of goods and people and the protection of the environment in all activities related to petroleum products”, reads the statement from the DNH.

The order comes after, last week, the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, denounced the existence of gas station owners who use the business to launder money and finance terrorism in Cabo Delgado.

Source: Diário Económico

Mozambique: Report of delays to Coral South LNG project – AIM

 information company Energy Intelligence has reported that the Coral South Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal has run into technical issues that could delay shipment of the first cargo of LNG from Mozambique.

The LNG will be produced by a consortium led by the Italian energy company, ENI. The LNG facility, built in a Korean shipyard, arrived in Mozambican waters in January and should by now be anchored in Area Four of the Rovuma Basin, some 40 kilometres off the coast of Cabo Delgado province.

 This will be the first deep-water platform in the world to operate at a water depth of about two thousand meters.

Last week, AIM reported that the tanker “British Mentor” was on its way to Coral Sul to pick up LNG for the British company BP. However, according to the ship-tracking website Marine Traffic, “British Mentor”, after hanging around in the Mozambique Channel for a couple of days, has changed its destination to Oman and is heading north to the port in Arabia.

According to Energy Intelligence, a source informed them that “serious issues [were] reported at Coral FLNG with one critical distillation column (demethaniser) suspected of having internal damage.

 Shutdown is required for inspection and repair, which will delay the start-up schedule by several days, if not weeks”.

Once fully operational, the terminal will produce 3.4 million tonnes of LNG per year. All of its output over the next 20 years has been bought by BP. However, a spokesperson for BP, contacted by AIM, was not able to comment on the movements of “British Mentor”.

The Coral Sul project will be the first of three projects to produce LNG in Mozambique. 

The main participant in Area Four is Mozambique Rovuma Ventures, a partnership between ENI, the US oil and gas giant ExxonMobil and the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which together control 70 per cent of the undertaking.

 The remaining 30 per cent is divided equally between the Mozambican state hydrocarbon enterprise ENH, Galp Energia of Portugal, and Kogas of South Korea.

The other LNG venture currently underway is the Mozambique LNG Project using gas from Rovuma Basin Offshore Area One. 

The French oil and gas company, TotalEnergies, is the operator with its partners coming from Japan, India, Thailand, and Mozambique. When operational, the project will produce 12.88 million tonnes of LNG per year for domestic consumption and export.

Progress with this project has been held up following the decision of TotalEnergies in April 2021 to declare force majeure following an attack by islamist terrorists near the Afungi Peninsula where the onshore LNG facility will be constructed.

However, according to one of the project’s partners, BPCL of India, which holds a ten per cent stake in Area One, the project should resume in the first half of 2023. 

The Chair and Managing Director of the company, Arun Kumar Singh, told shareholders at its Annual General Meeting that “now, with the efforts of the Government of Mozambique’s forces, supported by a regional coalition, progress is being made in improving the security situation in the region, and the project will resume once the security situation is stabilised in a sustainable manner”.

A third development, the Rovuma LNG Project, will use gas from offshore Area Four to produce 15 million tonnes of LNG a year. However, the operator, ExxonMobil, has not yet taken its final investment decision.

By John Hughes, AIM London

Source: AIM

COVID: 48 Cases in A Week

Mozambique: Only 48 new Covid-19 cases in a week

File photo: MISAU

The Mozambican health authorities reported on Tuesday a further seven new cases of the Covid-19 respiratory disease.

This brings the number of new cases diagnosed in the past week in the entire country to just 48.

According to a Tuesday press release from the Ministry of Health, that day’s new cases were four men and three women, all Mozambican citizens. They ranged in age from five to 61. There were two cases from Maputo city, two from Gaza, two from Sofala and one from Zambezia.

Since the start of the pandemic, 1,382,966 people have been tested in Mozambique for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, 597 of them in the previous 24 hours. 590 of these tests yielded negative results, and the seven who tested positive raised the total number of positive cases diagnosed in Mozambique to 230,076.

Two Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospital on Tuesday, one in Maputo city and one in Niassa and four new cases were admitted, three in Niassa and one in Maputo. 

The number of patients undergoing medical care in the Covid-19 wards rose from eight on Monday to ten on Tuesday. Only one of these patients is still in intensive care, receiving supplementary oxygen.

The Ministry reported no deaths from Covid-19 on Tuesday, and so the death toll in Mozambique from the disease remains 2,220.

No recoveries from the disease were reported either, and thus the total number of recoveries remains 227,709, which is 98.97 per cent of all Covid-19 cases ever diagnosed in Mozambique.

The number of active cases of Covid-19 rose from 136 on Monday to 143 on Tuesday. The geographical breakdown of the active cases was as follows: Niassa, 32; Maputo city, 28; Zambezia, 20; Tete, 19; Sofala, 18; Gaza, seven; Nampula, six; Cabo Delgado, five; Manica, four; Maputo province, three; and Inhambane, one.

The Ministry press release also reported that a further 2,265 people were vaccinated against Covid-19 on Tuesday. The total number fully vaccinated against the disease now stands at 14,681, 342, which is 96.5 per cent of all citizens aged 18 and above.

Source: AIM

Mozambique Food Security Outlook Update, August 2022

Mozambique Food Security Outlook Update, August 2022

FEWS NET: Mozambique Food Security Outlook Update August 2022: Food assistance needs remain high and are likely to increase during the upcoming lean season, 2022

Food assistance needs remain high and are likely to increase during the upcoming lean season

Key messages 

Most households across Mozambique are facing Minimal (IPC Phase 1) outcomes supported by adequate access to income and food.

 However, in drought affected areas in southern Mozambique, flood- and tropical storm-impacted areas in Nampula, and conflict-affected areas of Cabo Delgado, Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes persist as poor households have limited access to income for food purchases and are engaging in consumption and livelihood-based coping strategies to minimize food consumption gaps. 

In Cabo Delgado, Stressed! (IPC Phase 2!) outcomes are present in areas where humanitarian partners have access to IDPs and host communities, and where food distribution is consistent.

 From October 2022 to January 2023, an increasing number of households will likely face Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes as the typical lean season sets in.

In June and July 2022, Food Security Cluster partners provided humanitarian food assistance to over 600,600 people in northern Mozambique. 

However, WFP plans to assist 944,480 people with humanitarian food assistance in northern Mozambique in the August/September cycle. 

To ensure the most vulnerable people in northern Mozambique are reached despite limited resources, WFP is conducting a vulnerability-based targeting exercise to prioritize assistance according to vulnerability status instead of displacement. 

To build livelihoods in Cabo Delgado, WFP is planning to provide 160,000 people with livelihood interventions (agricultural kits) for the 2022/2023 main planting season in five districts.

The annual inflation rate increased from 10.8 percent in June 2022 to 11.8 percent In July, the highest inflation rate since August 2017. 

The continual rise in inflation is coming from the increased costs of transportation and food and non-alcoholic beverages, which are around 19 and 17 percent higher than last year, respectively. 

More  specifically, the National Institute of Statistics (INE) highlights price increases in petrol, diesel, bottled butane gas, tomatoes, and wheat as contributing the most to the increase in the monthly inflation rate. The rise in prices is reducing household purchasing power, particularly very poor and poor households.

 

From June to July 2022, maize grain prices increased by 10-22 percent in some monitored markets and doubled in Mutarara market. 

The sharp increase is likely related to low local supply and increased demand by regional traders. Elsewhere, maize grain prices were relatively stable, except for a 17 percent decline in Manica market likely due to local supply dynamics. Compared to last year and the five-year average, there is a lot of price volatility for maize grain prices in July 2022 compared to prices in July 2021, likely driven by local supply and demand dynamics.

 These price variations among the different markets impact households’ access to foods and level of purchasing power, particularly in areas of greater price volatility.

Source: FEWS NET

Mozambique: Displacement Tracking Matrix – Emergency Tracking Tool (ETT) Report: No. 170 / (10 – 16 August 2022)

Infographic Download here

During the reporting period (10 to 16 August 2022), a total of 76 movements were recorded – 49 arrivals (12,234 individuals), 15 departures (272 individuals), 11 returns (1,094 individuals), and 1 transit (54 individuals). 

The largest arrival movements were recorded in Metuge (11,304 individuals), Macomia (271 individuals), and Meluco (202 individuals). 

The largest departure movements were recorded in Nangade (170 individuals). 

The largest return movement was observed in Palma (672 individuals) and Quissanga (378 individuals). The only transit movement was observed in Mueda (54 individuals). Of the total population, 3 per cent of mobile groups were displaced for the first time, and 86 per cent for a second time.

Mozambique: Human rights federation condemns threats against NGO activist.

Mozambique: Human rights federation condemns threats against NGO activist.

File photo: DW

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) on Tuesday condemned alleged threats to Mozambican activist Adriano Nuvunga, demanding a “rapid investigation into the case”, the organisation said in a statement.

On the 15th, Adriano Nuvunga, director of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) found two AK-47 bullets, one of which bearing his name, in the backyard of his residence, he told Lusa.

“Surveillance cameras show that the bullets were thrown into my residence by two men, who then ran away. This was around 05:00 [minus one in Lisbon] on Monday morning,” he said.

In the statement, FIDH demands that the clarification of the episode be “swift, open and transparent” and that the perpetrators be “brought to justice”.

Noting that the activist reported the incident to the National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) in due time, the international organisation noted that “regrettably Mozambique has an unfortunate history of impunity for attacks against human rights defenders”.

“ This macabre act takes place within the context of increasing closure of civic space and attempts to block the activities of civil society organizations in the country,” reads the statement.

The incident, it continues, also demonstrates a growing pattern of alleged politically motivated violence against Professor Nuvunga.

The organisation recalls that in 2020 the activist received threats through anonymous phone calls from three unidentified persons, who said that a bomb had been been planted at his home.

“We therefore urge the security forces in Mozambique to promptly and impartially investigate this matter, as all these incidents cannot be looked at in isolation.,” says FIDH.

The human rights activists note that the threat to Adriano Nuvunga’s life comes at a time where he has been critical of the manner in which the government is responding to the ongoing social unrest in the country, as a result of the worsening economic situation in Mozambique.

As well as being director of the CDD, Nuvunga is one of the most vocal and critical voices in Mozambican civil society, has also directed the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP) and is a professor of political science at the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), the oldest higher education institution in Mozambique.

Source: Lusa

Mozambique: Police fire tear gas to disperse fish market vendors in Maputo – Miramar

The vendors of Mercado do Peixe, in the city of Maputo, managed to carry out, this morning, a march to the old fish market, in protest against the lack of compensation for the transfer to the new fish market.

The march that even started in an orderly manner and with the right to a police escort ended in tear gas, Miramar reports.

Wielding signs and posters, vendors who recently heard Maputo mayor Eneas Comiche say that there is no room for compensation, when they arrived at the old market, came across construction works on an imposing building and demanded a meeting with the person in charge for the works.

“Only in ten days”, replied one of the staff members at the works. The answer infuriated the sellers who then prevented the entry of trucks that intended to unload material at the site. This left room for turmoil.

The police immediately launched tear gas to disperse the vendors, a situation that caused a widespread flight of vendors.

As far as the Miramar reporting team found, apparently no one was injured.

When the police stopped the release of the gas, the vendors returned and insisted on the idea of talking to the owner of the property that is being built.

Source: Miramar

Mozambique: Consultants doubt any change in governance

Mozambique: Consultants doubt any change in governance

File photo: FM

The Oxford Economics Africa consultancy said on Wednesday that Fitch’s improved ‘rating’ demonstrates more confidence in Mozambique but doubts real changes in the country’s governance.

“The improvement in Mozambique’s sovereign credit ratings and the resumption of general budget support from the Bretton Woods institutions are signs that confidence in the government is being restored, which is catalysing more foreign borrowing and investment,” said an analysis paper.

“However, we agree with local commentators” that “little has changed in terms of governance and that there are indications that authoritarianism is indeed on the rise,” it added.

The influx of concessional funding and donations “is very welcome and essential to Mozambique’s efforts to rebuild the war-torn province of Cabo Delgado and finance its budget deficit,” the consultancy noted.

Oxford Economics Africa highlighted the government’s announced plan to apply over €300 million to restore infrastructure in Cabo Delgado over the next three years.

“Mozambique’s government is now expected to use its improved access to external financing to implement reforms to avoid another hidden debt crisis and help stabilise the security situation in the gas-rich northern region,” whose reserves “are critical to the country’s long-term economy, development and sustainability,” it concluded.

Financial ratings agency Fitch on Friday raised its rating on Mozambique from CCC to CCC+, easing the risk outlook on lending to the country.

“Mozambique’s financing constraints have been substantially eased with the US$456 million (€457 million) credit agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF),” it said.

Fitch expects the agreement to give the ‘green light’ to other forms of “concessional financing from multilateral partners, including the World Bank, after years of restricted access to external sources of funding following the 2016 hidden debts scandal.

The agency forecasts gross domestic product (GDP) growth to “accelerate to 7.7% in 2024 and remain high until 2026”.

Source: Lusa 

NYUSI WORRIED ABOUT COVID

The President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, considers that there is a lack of collective awareness in the fight against COVID-19 in the country

Nyusi says he has noted with concern the crowds that characterize the beaches, last weekend.

Since the beginning of September, the country has been experiencing a significant increase in new positive cases of COVID-19, one death and five hospitalizations on average daily.

The data discomfort the government that reiterates calls for compliance with measures to prevent the deadly disease.
Filipe Nyusi, who was speaking today at the Mozambican heroes' square in the city of Maputo, said he noted with concern, crowds on the beaches during the last weekend.

With more than seven thousand infected, SARS-COV2 has already killed more than 50 people in Mozambique

Mozambique's Covid-19 Death Toll Now Over 50

 Maputo — Mozambique's National Director of Public Health, Rosa Marlene, on Thursday reported two more deaths from the Covid-19 respiratory disease, bringing the death toll in Mozambique since the start of the pandemic to 51.

Speaking at a Maputo press conference, Marlene said the two latest victims were Mozambican men, one aged 38 and the other 81 years old. Both were hospitalised in Maputo, and tested positive for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 on 13 and 18 September. Their condition continued to deteriorate, and the younger man died on Wednesday. On Thursday morning the older man also died

.Of the 51 known coronavirus deaths, 34 (two thirds) have occurred in Maputo city, and three in Maputo province. The other deaths have occurred in Nampula (five), Tete (two), Manica (two), Gaza (two), Cabo Delgado (one), Zambezia (one) and Sofala (one).

The pace of the Covid-19 epidemic in Mozambique picked up sharply in September. Marlene said that there has been an average of one death, five hospitalisations and 145 new cases of the disease every day this month. And in the last seven days, 12 deaths were reported.

Marlene said that, since the first case was diagnosed on 22 March, 130,060 people have been tested for the coronavirus, 1,255 of them in the previous 24 hours. 870 of the tests were administered in public facilities and 385 in private laboratories.

Of the samples tested, 615 were from Maputo city, 180 from Cabo Delgado, 142 from Maputo province, 122 from Nampula, 48 from Sofala, 42 from Manica, 41 from Zambezia, 40 from Tete, 22 from Gaza and three from Inhambane.1,118 of these tests gave negative results, and 137 people tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total number of positive cases to 7,399. 131 of the new cases are Mozambicans and six are Indian nationals. 66 are men or boys and 61 are women or girls. Ten are children under 15 years of age, and three are over 65 years old.

The great majority of the new cases are from Maputo city (96) and Maputo province (18), thus confirming once more that the current epicenter of the Mozambican epidemic is in the far south of the country. There were also ten cases from Tete, six from Gaza, two from Sofala, and one each from Nampula, Zambezia and Inhambane.

In line with standard Ministry of Health procedure, all the new cases are in home isolation and their contacts are being traced.

Over the same 24 hour period, Marlene said, two Covid-19 patients have been discharged from hospital, one in Maputo city and one in Gaza. But nine others were admitted, all of them in Maputo. Currently 52 patients are under medical care in the Covid-19 isolation wards. 51 of them are in Maputo city and one is in Zambezia.Marlene added that a further 208 people have made a full recovery from Covid-19 - 178 in Maputo city, 24 in Maputo province, three in Zambezia, two in Gaza and one in Tete. The total number of recoveries is now 4,558 - 61.6 per cent of all people who have tested positive for the coronavirus.

As of Thursday, the geographical breakdown of all 7,399 positive cases, by the provinces where they were diagnosed, was as follows: Maputo city, 3.182; Maputo province, 1,323; Cabo Delgado, 696; Nampula, 579; Zambezia, 376; Gaza, 313; Tete, 256; Sofala, 211; Niassa, 191; Inhambane, 167; Manica, 105.

The main Covid-19 statistics for Mozambique are now: 7,399 confirmed cases, of whom 4,558 have made a complete recovery, and 2,786 are active cases. 78.5 per cent of all the active cases are from Maputo city and province. 55 Covid-19 patients have died, 51 from the disease and four from other causes.

As Mozambique enters the summer months (summer began officially on Wednesday), the Health Ministry is openly alarmed at the prospect of large crowds gathering on the country's beaches, which reopened a fortnight ago.

Because Friday is a public holiday (the anniversary of the launch of the national liberation struggle), this will be a three day weekend, and temperatures are soaring. The maximum temperature in Maputo on Saturday is forecast to reach 38 degrees Celsius, and during the weekend maximum temperatures in Gaza and Inhambane might reach 42 degrees.

Marlene urged citizens to resist the temptation to go to the beaches "because these places are potential foci for transmission of the disease".

Anyone who did choose to go to the beach, she added, "should scrupulously observe the preventive measures against Covid-19". These include wearing face masks, and social distancing of at least 1.5 metres between individuals.

Marlene warned that the government has specifically banned collective sports and concerts on the beaches, as well as the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks. Source ALLAFRICA.com

Mozambique: Defence Forces Repel Terrorist Attack Against Bilibiza

 Maputo — Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Friday announced that, on the previous day, the defence and security forces had repelled a terrorist attack against the small town of Bilibiza in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Speaking at the Monument to the Mozambican Heroes in Maputo, at a ceremony to mark the 56th anniversary of the launch of the independence war against Portuguese colonial rule, on 25 September 1964, Nyusi said "I want to dedicate a word of appreciation for the young men who right now are in the theatres of operation in the north and centre of the country, and who yesterday drove back an attack on Bilibiza. These men, from all ethnicities, tribes and races, without any political or religious colours, have shown a high sense of patriotism, courage and valour in defence of our sovereignty".Islamist bandits have attacked Bilibiza before, notably in January, when they burnt down many houses and vandalised public buildings, including the Bilibiza Agricultural Institute, the local health centre and the administrative post secretariat.

Nyusi said that, facing adverse circumstances, and with the same determination as the fighters in the liberation struggle, the defence and security forces of today are aware that their mission is to fight a different sort of war, a fight against terrorism, "which requires still more capacity for re-invention in order to secure success".

"Our young men do not vacillate and are aware of their mission to fight terrorism and defend our sovereignty", he declared. "That's how it was with the youths of 25 September 1964, that's how it is with the youths who comprises our defence and security forces, and that's how it will be in future generations".

The Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM), Nyusi continued, are "the faithful guardians of the gains of the Mozambican people".

The defence forces of the past "had the duty to free the country from Portuguese colonialism. Today, with the advent of globalization, the threats are more diffuse and unpredictable, which demands other forms of flexibility and combat readiness."

"Terrorism, transnational crime, piracy, cybercrime and humanitarian missions are some of the challenges which our defence and security forces must also be prepared to face", said Nyusi.

The terrorism in Cabo Delgado, and the attacks by the self-styled "Renamo Military Junta" in the central provinces of Manica and Sofala "are affronts to our national independence, territorial integrity and peace", he declared.

"As Commander-in-Chief", Nyusi said, "I reiterate my promise to remain open to dialogue and to bring together all the forces of society who want to contribute to the affirmation of the great destination that we are building. To this end, I am counting on the dedication of the defence and security forces".

At the ceremony, Nyusi also decorated 30 people for outstanding achievements in various spheres of the nation's life. They were among 1,546 people decorated across the country, most of them in ceremonies guided by the provincial secretaries of state.

The war against islamist terrorism is creating new heroes. One of those whom Nyusi decorated posthumously, with the Medal of Military Merit, was naval captain Horacio Charles, who gave his life fighting the terrorist attack on the town of Mocimboa da Praia in JuneSource- ALLAFRICA

Cholera vaccination in northern Mozambique

"For this campaign to reach the desired objectives, the participation and active involvement of all of us is necessary, each one must be a mobilizing agent in order to have greater adhesion of the population", said the minister, during the campaign launching ceremony in Pemba , capital of Cabo Delgado, northern province of the country.

 According to Carlos Agostinho do Rosário, the campaign will reach a total of 366,750 people from five provincial districts affected by cholera, namely Metuge, Ibo, Macomia, Mocímboa da Praia and Pemba. The cholera vaccination campaign will take place in two phases, the first starting today until 25 September and the second taking place from 12 to 17 October, said the official

 "The only real purpose of this campaign is to improve the health status of our fellow citizens in this region of the country and nothing else. A vaccinated person is protected from cholera and in this way reduces the risk of transmitting the disease to others," he added. The campaign will involve 119 health teams and, this year, the action will take the teams to the families, to avoid crowds in health units and fight the spread of the new coronavirus.

Attacks: Analysts advocate independent investigation into allegations of abuse

"We hope that the State will respond as soon as possible because there are conditions to appoint an independent, credible, serious and multi-stakeholder commission to verify what has happened and what is happening in Cabo Delgado", defended the director of the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), Mozambican civil society organization, Adriano Nuvunga.

 The European Commission found on Thursday “extremely shocking” the recent report by Amnesty International (AI) on human rights violations in northern Mozambique that the organization attributes to the Defense and Security Forces (SDS), calling for a “transparent investigation” and effective ”. The Government leaves the door open for inquiries, but has said that the videos on which the allegations are based are "propaganda" of the insurgents facing Mozambique. "The pressure is increasing, we hope and call on the State to respond positively and create conditions as soon as possible," said Nuvunga

. Speaking to the Moza Eye, the journalist and analyst Fernando Lima said that the Mozambican state "can only gain" from the investigation, as this will allow "the suspicions and pressure" of national and international organizations to be removed. “If the State wants to distance itself seriously and in practice, it must allow an investigation”, underlined Lima. Borges Nhamire, a researcher at the Center for Public Integrity (CIP), considers that the investigations carried out by the Government “do nothing”, recalling other cases that occurred in the country, and that, according to Nhamire, “had no results”

. “This country is full of investigations that have no results. To get concrete information out there has to be an independent investigation ”, he reiterated. For analysts, there is increasing evidence and reports of human rights violations resulting from the armed conflict in Cabo Delgado, calling for conditions to be created to clarify them “once and for all”. "The only way to clarify this is to pave the way for an independent investigation into this type of situation, to dispel all possible doubts", defended the president of the National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH) of Mozambique, Luís Bitone. 

 Cabo Delgado is the northernmost coastal province of Mozambique, home of mega-projects for natural gas exploration and facing a humanitarian crisis with more than 1,000 dead and 250,000 internally displaced - the result of three years of armed conflict between Mozambican and rebel forces, whose attacks have already been claimed by the Islamic State 'jihadist' group, but whose origin remains unclear. AI and Human Rights Watch (HRW) are among the organizations that have called for an investigation into the acts captured on video that show alleged members of Mozambican forces torturing and even executing others on the war stage in Cabo Delgado. 

 The Mozambican government has already repudiated the images and declared itself open to investigating the circumstances, classifying the videos as propaganda for the "terrorist" forces that reach the northern province and use the FDS uniforms to record them. On Tuesday, the Mozambican Interior Minister, Amade Miquidade, said that the government suspects that there is a nucleus that produces disinformation to denigrate the SDS and said that an investigation is underway to find out "where is the nucleus for preparing these videos" .

PR participates in the virtual week of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly

 The President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, participates, from September 21 to October 2, in the high-level virtual week of the 75th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, under the motto “The future we want, the United Nations we need - reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism ”.

At the meeting, the Head of State will contribute to the general debate with an intervention, from Maputo, scheduled for 23 September, where he will transmit a message that highlights the commitment to “celebrate the 75 years of the United Nations, making it the most relevant to the challenges of peace and security, combating COVID-19 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, taking into account the 45 years of national independence and cooperation between the Republic of Mozambique and the United Nations ”.

According to a statement from the Presidency of the Republic, sent to “the Moza Eye”, during the virtual week, Filipe Nyusi will also participate in the high-level meeting to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations; Biodiversity Summit; high-level virtual meeting on financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Era and post-COVID-19.

The note also indicates that the Head of State will participate in the high-level meeting of the 25th anniversary of the 4th World Conference on Women and in the high-level meeting for the celebration and promotion of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

Nyusi will also participate in the parallel meeting entitled “High Level Virtual Roundtable promoted by the US Chamber of Commerce and the US Africa Business Center”, as well as in bilateral bilateral meetings, the statement we have been quoting refers to.

The delegation of President Nyusi is made up of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Verónica Macamo; Industry and Commerce, Carlos Mesquita; Gender, Children and Social Action, Nyeleti Mondlane and Land and Environment, Ivete Maibasse.

The Governor of the Bank of Mozambique, Rogério Zandamela, also accompanies the Head of State; the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mozambique to the United Nations, Pedro Comissário; Mozambican ambassador to Washington (USA), Carlos dos Santos; cadres of the Presidency of the Republic and other State institutions.

 

Mozambique / Attacks: NGO considers security agreement with French Total to be discriminatory

 On August 24, Total announced a review of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Mozambican Government for the operation of a joint force for the security of the natural gas project of the Area 1 consortium in the Rovuma basin, northern Mozambique.

In an analysis of the agreement, CIP understands that the Mozambican executive and Total ignored the impact of the armed conflict elsewhere in the province of Cabo Delgado, by focusing geographically on the understanding in Area 1 - Afungi, district of Palma.

"As this is an important document that provides for measures in the face of the conflict in Cabo Delgado, with a view to protecting the investments made in that province and guaranteeing the benefits of the exploitation of resources in general, it would be expected that it would involve other companies that also operate in that part of the country ", defends the CIP.

On the other hand, the text continues, the districts and localities plagued by the action of armed groups are interconnected, a situation that requires greater coverage of security strategies in the face of armed violence.

"It is also important to emphasize that the memorandum of understanding [between Government and Total] will have a direct impact on the lives of local communities, the provincial business community, on the inspection capacity of the National Petroleum Institute [INP], of the National Institute of Mines [Inami] and in the lives of Mozambicans, in general ", observes the CIP.

The organization also points out that the agreement affects Mozambique's national sovereignty, because it dellegates national security matters to a company that pursues strictly private interests.

CIP emphasizes that the expenses resulting from the agreement must be regulated, taking into account that the costs will encumber the investments of the consortium project and lower the tax revenues of the Mozambican State.

"The fact that the memorandum of understanding is kept as a confidential document makes it even more difficult for the regulator to monitor recoverable costs," says the CIP analysis.

The organization considers Total's concerns about the security of its enterprise in the Rovuma basin understandable in the face of armed attacks in the region, but stresses that any initiative in this area must be "comprehensive".

In this sense, he continues, the approach to security must deserve greater coordination between state institutions and companies in the extractive sector, namely in the response through "joint force".Following the agreement in August, in clarifications to Lusa, the French oil company said that "the revision of the safety memorandum reflects the increase in activities during the construction phase and the mobilization of a larger workforce".

The province of Cabo Delgado has been the scene of armed attacks for three years by forces classified as terrorists.

The violence caused a humanitarian crisis with more than a thousand deaths and about 365,000 internally displaced persons.