By Daanyaal Matthews
Mozambique has found itself in civil turmoil following the announcement of a FRELIMO victory in the country’s recent elections. This has led to widespread allegations of voter fraud and FRELIMO political opponents calling for protest action. Mozambique’s response to the protests has resulted in an international public disaster, with Human Rights Watch announcing that at least 30 people have died.
The surrounding states, which are members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), have remained largely silent, with states merely advocating for the notion of peace while civil rights organizations in the South-Eastern African states bemoan the lack of effective intervention.
Nyasha Mpani, project leader for the Data for Governance Alliance Project, based at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, argued that the lack of interference from neighboring African states can be traced to political hesitancy derived from a principle of ‘non-interference’.
“I think it stems from complex dynamics, including issues to deal with resource constraint and political hesitancy, which are rooted in a sense of non-interference,” argued Mpani.
However, this sentiment of ‘non-interference’ is somewhat contrary to the principles of the SADC developmental block, but Mpani theorized the lack of urgency in addressing this issue in the region is linked to historic relations between ruling parties to FRELIMO.
“A significant factor is the historical brotherhood among liberation movements, which I think often influences many SADC countries responses to problems that might be defiling each SADC country. The leaders of these liberation movements, including those in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, share close ties that can overshadow calls for begetting decision actions,” theorized Mpani.
Listen to the full interview here:
Photo: GovernmentZA
