Negotiations with the "insurgents" - The process of seeking understandings with a view to starting negotiations to end the brutal conflict that is gripping some regions of northern Mozambique is at an advanced stage, with a greater predominance in the province of Cabo Delgado and some outbreaks in the provinces of Nampula and Niassa.

This is reflected in a document produced in February 2023 by the Pacification Advisory Group - Cabo Delgado (PAG-CD), consulted this Thursday by the newspaper Copywriter.

According to the Peacemaking Advisory Group - Cabo Delgado (PAG-CD), this effort is only taking short steps due to "several critical issues" that can be overcome by the faith of this group, which includes prominent religious figures, diplomats and researchers, among others.

"Obstacles to this process continue to exist, including a deep deficit of trust between the main stakeholders, a lack of coordination and communication between the relevant parties and complex issues surrounding amnesty and the reintegration of former combatants," says the document compiled by a group of eminent national and foreign personalities, considered to be "non-partisan".

However, "none of these issues is insurmountable and must be overcome in order to achieve peace in Cabo Delgado. Examples from the continent and other countries show that violent extremism cannot be defeated by military means alone," the document says.

The PAG-CD vows that on the basis of multi-sectoral consultations with stakeholders, work will continue to establish and operationalize a peace platform aimed at facilitating dialogue for the transformation of the conflict in Cabo Delgado.

"To this end, the next phase of the PAG's program of activities will include engaging key stakeholders in the East and Southern Africa region, engaging government at national, provincial and local levels and engaging non-state stakeholders at national level," says the group headed by Trevor Mwamba, Bishop of the Anglican Church and President of the United National Independence Party (UNIP) in the Republic of Zambia.

Beginning to address the trust deficit in Cabo Delgado by creating a safe, non-partisan platform for discussion, consultation between critical stakeholders and deepening research and understanding of the dynamics of conflicts are other objectives pursued by this group which also includes Dinis Matsolo, President of the Justice, Peace and Reconciliation Commission of the Christian Council of Mozambique (CCM) and Executive Director of the Interfaith Program Against Malaria (PIRCOM), Republic of Mozambique.

Basically, the aim of the PAG-CD is to create a safe, non-partisan platform for debate and consultation between the main players, based on mutual respect, in order to reduce inter-community tensions and unlock the development potential of the region.

Cabo Delgado Province.

The PAG is seen as a politically neutral regional initiative that draws on the experience and knowledge of its members to support peace and development in southern Africa through listening and dialogue.

Chris Maroleng, Global Advisor and Executive Director of Good Governance in Africa, Republic of South Africa and Roeland van de Geer, President of the European Council for Good Governance in Africa and former Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Republic of Mozambique are also part of the PAG-CD.

To which Copywriter This initiative also includes figures such as Alice Mogwe, Executive Director of DITSHWANELO - Botswana Center for Human Rights and President of the International Federation for Human Rights, Fatma Karume, renowned human rights lawyer, United Republic of Tanzania.

The PAG, with its secretariat based in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the Good Governance Africa (GGA), a registered non-profit organization focused on research, advocacy and improving governance across the African continent, with additional offices in Accra, Addis Ababa and Lagos, has the support of a Group of Eminent Persons (GEP), which is in the process of being set up and will be made up of distinguished leaders from the region.

Direct negotiations with the so-called "insurgents" or "Al-Shabab", as elements presumably associated with the group are commonly called

Ansar al-Sunna or Ahlu Sunna Wal Jammahalso known in Mozambique as Ansar al-Sharia began to be defended by some eminent national dignitaries since mid-2021, when the attacks took on extremely spectacular and brutal levels.

In addition, there is a clear understanding among the stakeholders that the PAG has involved through the government, the diplomatic community, civil society, the religious community and the private sector that military interventions alone will not end the conflict, will not bring sustainable peace and will not unlock the province's vast development potential.

"The absence of a dialog process convened by the government, which seeks to bring together representatives of the NSAG (Non-State Armed Group - Non-State Armed Group) and the Executive to exploit the conflict's transformative potential, is generally recognized as an issue that must be addressed with the utmost urgency," according to the PAG. (editor)