| UN Security Council Resolution 898 | |
|---|---|
 Village in Mozambique | |
| Date | 23 February 1994 |
| Meeting no. | 3,338 |
| Code | S/RES/898 (Document) |
| Subject | Mozambique |
Voting summary | 15 voted for None voted against None abstained |
| Result | Adopted |
| Security Council composition | |
Permanent members | |
Non-permanent members | |
United Nations Security Council resolution 898, adopted unanimously on 23 February 1994, after reaffirming Resolution 782 (1992) and all subsequent resolutions on Mozambique, the Council discussed the implementation of the Rome General Peace Accords and established a 1,144 strong police component of the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ). [1]
United Nations Security Council resolution 782, adopted unanimously on 13 October 1992, after welcoming the Rome General Peace Accords signed on 4 October 1992, in Rome between the FRELIMO (government) and RENAMO (rebel) parties in the Mozambican Civil War, the Council approved the appointment of an interim Special Representative and the deployment of up to 25 military observers to Mozambique. The Special Representative was an Italian, Aldo Ajello.
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini (Swaziland) and South Africa to the southwest. The sovereign state is separated from the Comoros, Mayotte and Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel to the east. The capital and largest city of Mozambique is Maputo.
The Rome General Peace Accords (Português): Acordo Geral de Paz ) between the Mozambican Civil War parties, the FRELIMO (government) and the RENAMO (rebels), put an end to the Mozambique Civil War. It was signed on October 4, 1992. Negotiations preceding in began in July 1990. They were brokered by a team of four mediators, two members of the Community of Sant'Egidio, Andrea Riccardi and Matteo Zuppi, as well as Bishop Jaime Gonçalves and Italian government representative Mario Raffaelli. The delegation of the Frelimo was headed by Armando Guebuza, the delegation of the Renamo was headed by Raul Domingos. The accords were then signed by the then president of Mozambique, Frelimo leader Joaquim Chissano and by the leader of the Renamo, Afonso Dhlakama.
Contents
After reviewing the status of the ONUMOZ mission, the importance of the General Peace Agreement and its timely implementation by all parties was reiterated. Positive developments were welcomed though there were still some delays. A request by the Government of Mozambique and RENAMO was noted regarding observation of police activities and in this regard, the Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali recommended the establishment of a police component of ONUMOZ with a view to reducing the military component.
The Mozambican National Resistance is a militant organization and political movement in Mozambique. Sponsored by the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), it was founded in 1975 as part of an anti-communist backlash against the country's ruling FRELIMO party.
Boutros Boutros-Ghali was an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) from January 1992 to December 1996. An academic and former Vice Foreign Minister of Egypt, Boutros-Ghali oversaw the UN over a period coinciding with several world crises, including the breakup of Yugoslavia and the Rwandan genocide. He was then the first Secretary-General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie from 16 November 1997 to 31 December 2002.
A police component of up to 1,144 personnel was established. The Secretary-General was requested to prepare for the withdrawal of part of the military component and to draw plans for the completion of the ONUMOZ mandate by November 1994, when an elected government is in office. Timetables were also to be drawn for the withdrawal of military observers after demilitarisation had taken place and for the drawdown of military forces in the transportation corridors when the new national defence force was operational.
Demilitarisation or demilitarization may mean the reduction of state armed forces. For instance, the demilitarisation of Northern Ireland entailed the reduction of British security and military apparatuses. Demilitarisation in this sense is usually the result of a peace treaty ending a war or a major conflict. The principle is distinguished from demobilization, which refers to the drastic voluntary reduction in the size of a victorious army.
Recent positive developments including the commencement of the assembly of troops, dismantling of paramilitary militias, the electoral law and the appointment of the National Electoral Commission, were welcomed. At the same time there was concern at delays including the demobilisation and the formation of a national army. The two parties were called on to implement the peace agreement, and in particular the ceasefire and demobilisation and cantonment of forces. They were also asked to prepare for elections no later than October 1994. [2]
A ceasefire, also spelled cease fire, is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces.
A cantonment is a military or police quarters.
The international community was asked to help contribute to the demobilisation of troops and the training of the new defense army in Mozambique. It was also important to ensure the return of refugees and displaced persons. The Secretary-General was requested to ensure maximum economy in the operations of ONUMOZ, with the Council awaiting his next report on progress and the timetable by which ONUMOZ's mandate will be reviewed.
A refugee, generally speaking, is a displaced person who has been forced to cross national boundaries and who cannot return home safely. Such a person may be called an asylum seeker until granted refugee status by the contracting state or the UNHCR if they formally make a claim for asylum. The lead international agency coordinating refugee protection is the United Nations Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The United Nations have a second Office for refugees, the UNRWA, which is solely responsible for supporting the large majority of Palestinian refugees.
