On Tuesday (18), the Maputo City Council approved a resolution awarding the Key to the City distinction to the President of Guinea-Bissau. Umaro Embaoló has been in Maputo since today and will address the Assembly of the Republic and the City Council tomorrow.

The act took place during an extraordinary session called to debate the draft resolution. It was approved with a majority of votes from Frelimo, but was considered palliative by the opposition, Renamo and the Democratic Movement of Mozambique, which abstained from voting.

For Renamo, Embaló is a figure who does not deserve distinction because there are no facts capable of justifying the municipality's proposal. But it also believes that Embaló is a troubled and controversial figure.

"A dictator. An element that is against democracy in the world. That's the person we couldn't give the Key to. Because one day Mozambique will be associated with him as a person.... How can we give the Key to a dictator?" said Alberto Maxaxieie, a Renamo member of the Maputo Municipal Assembly.

He raised the possibility of inviting the President of Guinea-Bissau to come to Mozambique and share his experience as a dictator.

For his part, Augusto Bazo, from the MDM, said that he regretted the fact that Guinea-Bissau did not represent an example of democracy.

"But from the point of view of leadership, it's a country identical to Mozambique. There is a dictatorship," he said, noting that there were no facts or grounds to justify the award.

Frelimo, which held the majority, felt that the debate was going the wrong way and "suggested" that the resolution be approved.

The city council argued that the award of the Key to the City to Umaro Embaló is in recognition of his efforts to develop bilateral cooperation and friendship.

Article updated at 8.19pm on Wednesday.