TRAVEL AND NEWS OF MOZAMBIQUE

Italian oil company Eni wants to expand hydrocarbon research area

Radio Mozambique

The Italian oil company Eni wants to expand its research area in the area of hydrocarbons, in the country, and guarantees participation in the sixth tender launched at the end of last year by the National Petroleum Institute.

According to the general director of Eni Rovuma Basin, Giorgio Vicini, quoted by the newspaper Notícias, a technical evaluation is underway within the company to define the areas for which it should compete.

Launched in November last year, the sixth tender for prospecting and researching hydrocarbons in Mozambique had, according to data from the National Petroleum Institute, 13 competing companies, of which 12 were pre-qualified. ( RM)

In the fight against terrorism there can neither be truce nor contemplation : Nyussi

The President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the FADM(The armed Forces of Mozambique) reiterates the challenge to the Armed Forces of Defense of Mozambique to fight, without truce, the terrorists that create panic in Cabo Delgado, and in some districts of the province of Nampula.

Filipe Nyusi was speaking this morning on the occasion of the 58th anniversary of the beginning of the national liberation struggle and the 25th of September.

For his part, the Chief of the General Staff, Joaquim Mangrasse, assumed the commitment of the Mozambican Defense Armed Forces to maintain peace, and thanked the international forces for their support in the fight against terrorism.(RM)

Mozambique: Prime Minister to attend United Nations General Assembly in New York

Prime Minister of Mozambique.

Prime Minister of Mozambique, Adriano Maleiane, arrives in New York this Thursday to take part in the 77th General Assembly of the United Nations.

Representing President Filipe Nyusi, Adriano Maleiane will, before giving his address to the General Assembly on Saturday, carry out numerous engagements, participating in the many forums that characterise UN General Assembly sessions.

Among these are a reflection on the Sustainable Development Goals, the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious or Linguistic Minorities and the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

Bilateral meetings with the Director General of the International Organisation for Migration and with government representatives from several countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe, are also on the prime minister’s agenda.

A press release from the Prime Minister’s Office indicates that Maleiane is travelling to New York on behalf of the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi. According to the same statement, Adriano Maleiane will, in his address on Saturday, present Mozambique’s stage of development in the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, reiterating the country’s commitment to the implementation of that instrument, with the emphasis on the expansion of health, banking, the judicial system and electricity network, as well as the consolidation of food production programs to eradicate hunger and chronic malnutrition, promoting peace and sustainable and inclusive development.

Maleiane arrives in New York at the head of a delegation that includes deputy ministers of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Manuel Gonçalves, and of Education and Human Development, Manuel Bazo, and also the Ambassador of Mozambique to the United Nations, Pedro Commissário.

The general debate of the 77th UN General Assembly began on Tuesday with the speech given by the President of Brazil, a tradition followed since 1949, on which occasion Jair Bolsonaro said that finding answers to the main global challenges was a collective responsibility.

This year, the High Level session of the UN General Assembly is held under the theme: “A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges”.

This is the first session in which Mozambique will participate since being elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council on June 9 of this year.

It is also the first session led by the new President of the UN General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, from Hungary, elected last June and sworn in last week.

It is also the first session to take place since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has been the dominant theme of the various speeches made in the General Assembly.

In response to polarised views about this conflict, the presidents of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and of China, Xi-Jinping, have already announced that they will not take part in the session, notable absences from the 77th UN General Assembly, which otherwise counts at least 130 heads of state and government among the attendees.

Source: Rádio Moçambique / Notícias

Hydrocarbons: Mozambique and Tanzania open to cooperation – Domingo

photo credit:Domingo

Presidents of Mozambique and Tanzania, Filipe Nyusi and Samia Suluhu Hassan, discussed on Wednesday the need for a lot of cooperation in the exploitation of hydrocarbons, taking into account the discovery, in recent years, in both countries, of important reserves of natural gas, Jornal Doingo online reports.

According to Filipe Nyusi, it is necessary to exploit the advantage of the countries being neighbours, especially with regard to the negotiation of contracts for the exploitation of hydrocarbons, an item that is, in fact, one of the great weaknesses of the States, reads the report.

Mozambique will be the first of the two countries to export liquefied natural gas, which should happen in the coming days, through the Coral Sul offshore project, in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin, concludes the ‘Domingo’ online report.

Source: Domingo

Frelimo SG confirms that Filipe Nyusi will run for 3rd term as party chief – A Verdade

Roque Silva clarified that the nomination of the Frelimo party candidate for the 2024 General Elections “is not on the Congress agenda”. [Image: A Verdade]

The Secretary-General of the Frelimo Party Roque Silva confirmed this Wednesday (21-09) the announcement by @Verdade that Filipe Nyusi will run for a third term as president of the party that has governed Mozambique since 1975.

Asked by @Verdade at a press conference within the scope of preparations for the 12th Frelimo Congress who the candidates were, Roque Silva made it clear: “Regarding the candidate for president of the party, I can safely say that the candidate is Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, president of Frelimo and beloved member of the 60-year-old party.”

Elected for the first time in 2015, a year after being elected President of Mozambique and after Armando Guebuza’s resignation, Nyusi is expected to be re-elected unanimously.

Roque Silva clarified that the nomination of the Frelimo party candidate for the 2024 General Elections “is not on the Congress agenda”.

Regarding the Magna meeting of the ‘comrades’ that starts next Friday (23), and is the finale of the process started in the party cells on June 23, the Frelimo Party SG pointed out that “for the first time, it covered a level that did not previously exist in the party structure – that of the locality, with the creation of locality committees and their leaders”.

Silva said that the agenda of the meeting “has to do with the approval of instruments that will guide the party in the next five years, namely the revision of the party’s statutes, in order to adapt them to some current dynamics, we will analyse and approve in Congress.

The party’s program for the next five years, we will debate and approve at the party level a new component that in previous statutes was not very practical, which is the introduction of some innovations that will allow us to value those who represent Frelimo’s historical heritage for having been the labourers in the construction of our party”.

“The election of a new Central Committee, which will then have the responsibility to elect the Secretary General, will have the responsibility to elect the new secretariat of the Central Committee, will have the responsibility to elect the new Verification Committee” are other items on the agenda of the Congress enumerated by the Frelimo SG.

Silva also revealed that the Congress would bring together “about 2,000 participants, of whom about 1,500 will be delegates and 500 guests. Of these guests, we want to highlight those coming from 24 political parties and friendly organizations around the world”.

By Adérito Caldeira.

From A Verdade

Terrorists pardoned

President of the Republic Filipe Nyusi has granted pardons to 44 members of terrorist groups operating in Cabo Delgado.

TVM reports.

The beneficiaries had all surrendered to the authorities voluntarily, adds the same source.

Mozambique: Police must reinvent itself to fight terrorism – President Nyusi

Mozambique: Police must reinvent itself to fight terrorism – President Nyusi Mozambican President Filipe on Monday (19) called on the Police force (PRM) to reinvent itself and repel any threats to public order and security, including terrorism attacks currently plaguing the residents of Cabo Delgado province, in the northern regof the country.

Nyusi, who is also Commander-in-Chief of Forças de Defesa e Segurança (FDS), said that the mission of the police force also includes defence of the homeland, sovereignty and natural resources available in the country, as well as all achievements made with sacrifice and work of Mozambicans.

He left the challenge during the closing ceremony of the 42nd PRM Basic course, at the Matalana Police Training School.

In his view, the entry of a growing number of trained police officers Mozambicans into the ranks of the FDS is an important contribution by the Mozambican people to strengthen human capacity, allowing for wider coverage in the surveillance, vigilance and defence of country’s integrity.

“Therefore, we recommend the Police Force to reinvents itself so that, together with other defence and security forces on the ground intensify actions to repel any threats to public order and security, as well as build capacity to anticipate and contain any phenomena that could disturb the tranquillity of Mozambicans,” he said.

The President also mentioned other threats facing the country, particularly money laundering and financing terrorism, and urged all justice stakeholders, including PRM and the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC), to develop internal and external coordination mechanisms to combat this crime, which poses a major threat to the country and to the world in general. “This implies specialised training, increased capacity for investigation and analysis and responsibility for action,” he stressed.

Addressing the new graduates, Nyusi warned that the Oath of the Flag is not a mere procedure or a mere formality, but an act that carries in itself important significance of symbolism and a high sense of responsibility. “With the oath taken, each one of you has committed to respect and defend our multicoloured national flag and, above all, other values the honour and territorial integrity of the Mozambican nation and safeguard the sovereignty of the State regardless of the sacrifice that you may be required to,” he pointed out.

He added that the life of a police officer finds its true meaning in the consent of individual sacrifices for the fulfilment of a set of patriotic duties for common good of Mozambicans and all. “Young men, to be a police officer is to accept to always serve national interests, to serve the Homeland and to be ready to exchange one’s life for it, if necessary,” he stressed.

Nyusi also reminded the new graduates that when performing their duties they should distance themselves from any criminal practices because they are contrary to their office as well as denounce, combat and repel all criminal actions to eradicate this evil from society, including the police force.

Beheadings as jihadists raid Mozambique villages : Jose TembeBBC News, Maputo

Five villagers have been killed, several others abducted and more than 100 huts torched in two separate jihadist attacks in Ancuabe district of Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province.

In the latest incident, three men were beheaded on Wednesday afternoon in Megaruma village, about 15km (nine miles) from the headquarters of the administrative post of Metoro.

There are also reports of abductions in the same area of an unknown number of people.

The situation has caused unrest and tension in Megaruma, Metoro and their surrounding areas.

Security forces have been deployed to the area to restore peace and order.

Source Source: BBC news

Mozambique: Businesses call for wider tax breaks

The Confederation of Business Associations of Mozambique (CTA), the country’s largest business organisation, advocated broader tax reductions on Thursday to boost economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

CTA’s position is part of the “list of proposals” that the organisation drew up following the SAP – Package of Measures for Economic Acceleration announced in August by the president of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi.

The Mozambican business community believes that reducing VAT from 17% to 16%, included in the SAP, should also apply to special rates of this tax applied to other goods and services, including electricity and water.

It also proposes the reintroduction of the VAT exemption for all products in the basic food basket to improve the purchasing power of families.

“In addition, we propose the creation of mechanisms to offset tax debts and to ensure the decentralisation of analysis of refunds to the provincial tax authority offices,” the statement said.

CTA also advocated that VAT exemption in agriculture should be extended to the entire agricultural sector to be more comprehensive and include the bakery industry.

Urban passenger carriers should benefit from exemption from payment of the company tax to attract greater formalisation of this sector.

“In the transport sector, the same [exemption] may contribute to the reduction of the number of informal urban transport operators and the facilitation of the effectiveness of government policies in this segment,” the note said.

Still on the measure of the company tax reduction, the CTA proposed the inclusion of tourism, as well as technical-vocational and higher education, taking into account that these ateas are still facing the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On tax incentives for new investments in key sectors made in the next three years, CTA defended extending these incentives to investments already implemented and to areas affected by cyclones and armed attacks in Cabo Delgado province.

To simplify procedures for the repatriation of capital, the measure should be extended to the flow of capital entering the country, CTA advocates

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

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.

Photo: Notícias

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

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

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.

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