President Filipe Nyusi has said he will sign an effective peace deal on Thursday with the main opposition Renamo party to put a formal end to armed hostilities with government forces.
Renamo and the ruling Frelimo government fought a bitter 16-year conflict which ended with a peace deal in 1992.
But a low-intensity conflict flared up six years ago over an electoral dispute.
“I can confirm before this noble house that I am leaving tomorrow, August 1st, again for Gorongosa. I hope this time not to sit under the tree and carry with me the yearning and hearts of all Mozambicans” President Nyusi told parliament on Wednesday.
”“Thursday’s agreement provides for a formal end to the clashes between the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces and the armed wing of the opposition,” Nyusi said, while delivering a state of the union address in the country’s parliament.
The government intends to disarm Renamo fighters and reintegrate some of them into the army or police.
Previous clashes with the party have been sparked by disputed election results, such as after the last presidential election in 2014 and was demanding that it control six provinces where it won the most votes and the inclusion of its militia in the army and police.
Frelimo has said that Renamo must disarm before any agreements can be reached.
Renamo accused the ruling party, Frelimo, of fraud in municipal elections last year and suspended its participation in the peace process as a result.
CM/as/APA