The President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, granted on Tuesday (20) a kind of pardon to 64 people suspected of terrorism, and asked the population to deeply forgive those who leave the ranks of armed groups in Cabo Delgado, a province rich in gas and target of terrorist attacks five years ago.

Nyusi presented, during a popular rally in the city of Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado, 22 of these suspects and assured amnesty for children, women and men forced to join the ranks of the terrorists and who wish to leave.

"I have come to liberate our brothers," Nyusi said, quoted by VOA, at the beginning of the rally, after singing revolutionary songs that warned of the intensity of the fire against the enemy.

"In Mocímboa da Praia, I presented 42 people. Here in Pemba there are 22 people, but we also have them in Palma, we have them everywhere, this is what we want here, to come back and join us, not to have that discrimination thing," said Nyusi, emphasizing that many were used.

The Mozambican statesman said that armed groups are finding it difficult to continue recruiting young people in Cabo delgado, because "there is some awareness of young people in Cabo Delgado who no longer adhere" to terrorism, including in Mocímboa da Praia, Panganhe, Quissanga and Quiterajo, regions that have provided the armed groups with the most fighters.

Nyusi explained that "the fire is still intense and the enemy has not surrendered," and is being pursued and spreading to other regions, insisting, however, that "this war of terrorism is a strange thing."

Addressing the deserters, Nyusi said that "your colleagues from Mocímboa da Praia have told us where the other 15 who want to return are, so you have to contribute and collaborate and tell us where they are," reinforcing the request that the population should not consider them enemies.

"He who went knowingly and volunteered, and feels that he is repentant, that one can come back, he who was taken compulsively - children, women - to serve as a shield should also come back, when they come back esteemed compatriots, they are our brothers, formatted by the terrorists, we will welcome them with two hands," Nyusi concluded.

Mozambican analyst Samuel Simango observes that the president's measure is appropriate for the moment, but should be accompanied with other strategies, because by experience the defections in previous struggles have not stopped the wars.

"Any measure that conveys a pacification is good, and this conveys confidence that when people come back to live together, in the villages, they are accepted and forgiven," Simango stressed.

"But these kinds of movements are not recent. We remember even during the national liberation struggle, even in the civil war there were individuals who were presented as abandoning the struggle, but the struggle did not stop," he stressed.

On the other hand, the university professor also understands that the deserters live a delicate situation of insecurity, so it is necessary to adopt appropriate measures to avoid "certain intolerances" by the defense and security forces and/or by the community leaders where the deserters will be inserted.

There are about 800,000 internally displaced people due to the conflict, according to the International Organization for Migration, and 4,000 deaths have been recorded, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.