The Mozambican Head of State, Filipe Nyusi, said yesterday at the United Nations Security Council in New York that the last Renamo base should close in June, after which the payment of pensions to the former guerrillas would begin..

The President of the Republic spoke at the Security Council's high-level open debate entitled "Ensuring the Safety and Dignity of Civilians in Conflict: Addressing Food Insecurity and Protecting Essential Services".

For Filipe Nyusi, "the conclusive phase of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration could come to an end next June with the closure of the last Renamo base".

"That's why we praise Renamo and its leadership," added Filipe Nyusi, while thanking the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, and "his envoy, who has given a lot of support".

Quoted by Lusa, Nyusi explained to the Security Council that the government "has decided to pay pensions even to those who have not paid pensions" as a way of "creating sustainable peace in Mozambique":

"As this is a new process, we need the team that is working on it to remain in place" for "some time" to "ensure its implementation", Nyusi stressed.