AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - President of the Episcopal Conference: “I hope that the elections will be free, fair and peaceful”

Maputo (Agenzia Fides) - "We hope that the elections will be free and fair and, above all, peaceful," said the President of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique and Archbishop of Nampula, Inacio Saure, in an interview with Fides.
Today, October 9, presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in the southern African country. No major surprises are expected; FRELIMO (National Liberation Front), in power since independence in 1975, is expected to win the election again this time.
Mozambique, which emerged in 1992 from a civil war that broke out in 1975, has been facing jihadist militias in the province of Cabo Delgago, the northernmost province of the country, for several years (see Fides, 19/10/2022).
We asked Archbishop Saure to analyze the situation in the country in the light of today's election.

What do you expect from today's elections?

First and foremost, I hope that the elections will be free and fair and, above all, peaceful. The preparations have been marked by some difficulties. We know that there have been delays and problems in registering on the electoral rolls, due to bureaucratic issues but perhaps also to other political problems. Let's say there was no interest in certain people being registered on the electoral roll. There is also a certain fatigue and disappointment among voters, because the first free elections took place in 1994, 30 years ago, and since then elections have been accompanied by controversy and protests.

The war in the north is attributed to the presence of at least one jihadist group. Isn't this reading a little simplistic?

We say it is the jihadists, but I don't think they are the only reason for this war. There are the resources in the region, primarily gas, but not only: in Balama there are mines with strategic minerals such as graphite, which are crucial for new technologies and the energy transition. That is why we do not know exactly what the real cause of this war is. Is it just religious? I don't think so. On the other hand, the conflict broke out more or less at the same time as the gas extraction began.

You are the Archbishop of Nampula, which has welcomed several internally displaced persons from the war. Can you describe their situation?

After Cabo Delgado, the provincial capital where the war is mainly taking place, Nampula is the province that has welcomed most of the refugees fleeing the violence. This is a challenge because Nampula is the most densely populated province in the country and the sudden influx of thousands of people has created problems for the structures in this area. At the beginning, when the first refugees arrived, several international organizations provided assistance. But then the assistance was greatly reduced. They increasingly forgot about us and the more than 6,000 refugees who were still housed in Nampula. Initially, there were as many as 8,000, but some have returned to Cabo Delgado, where there are still many displaced people from the surrounding villages affected by insecurity.
As a Church, we are fully committed to helping these people through our diocesan and national Caritas. The problem is that we do not have sufficient resources, especially since international aid has almost disappeared.

Is there a fear that the conflict in the north could spread to other areas of Mozambique?

Much of Mozambique is at peace, but there is a fear that the instability in the north could spread to the rest of the country, which is exacerbated by great poverty, especially among unemployed youth, especially in the cities.

The other big problem is widespread poverty...

Yes, especially among young people. Many young people from the countryside have moved to the cities but have not found work there. This is, among other things, a major challenge at a pastoral level. The ideal would be to create vocational training opportunities for these people. However, the Church alone does not have the means to do this. During our last ad limina visit, Pope Francis also recommended not to forget young people and to provide them with training places. During our visit this year, I pointed out to the Holy Father the difficulties we have in supporting young people in vocational training because we, as the Mozambican Church, do not have the means to do so. We try to do what we can, but the means are really very limited.

On the other hand, Catholic schools are very valued for the quality of their teaching. However, the State has increased taxes on our schools, making them equal to private companies. which in turn has put us in difficulties.

How would you describe the situation of the Church in Mozambique in the face of these problems?

It is a living Church. We have many vocations, the seminaries are full. This is truly a grace. Young people come to the Church in droves. Most of our priests are Mozambican. We even have some priests who go as missionaries to other African countries.
In addition, the role of the laity is very important, because already in 1977 the National Pastoral Assembly decided to promote a Church of the laity. The catechists play an important role in this, especially in the villages where there is no permanent presence of a priest. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 9/10/2024)

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