Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Mozambique.

Mozambique is an important partner for the UK, and a valued member of the Commonwealth. We continue to work closely with the Government of Mozambique on a broad range of issues. The Foreign Secretary reiterated these messages when he spoke to President Nyusi on 11 June.

We are encouraged by recent progress in Mozambique's post-civil war peace process. This has recently successfully reintegrated former Renamo fighters into either the Mozambican military or civil society through the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) process which was agreed as part of the peace deal in August 2019. The UK has contributed over £1 million to Mozambique's DDR programme.

We are watching developments in the insurgency in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province with concern and providing our support to the Government of Mozambique. The problem requires a cross Government response, including tackling the underlying issues which foster the conditions of such an insurgency. I spoke to Foreign Minister Macamo on 23 July, congratulating Mozambique's efforts to address the causes of instability through the creation of the Integrated Department for the Development of Northern Mozambique (ADIN), and to encourage a holistic approach to tackling the insurgency. I also reiterated our concern over the disappearance of Ibraimo Abu Mbaruco.

We were concerned to note the attack on the independent media offices of one of Mozambique's main independent media outlets, Canal de Moçambique, on 23 August. We are fully committed to promoting freedom of expression and freedom of the media and welcome President Nyusi's commitment that those responsible will be brought to justice. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon spoke to President Nyusi on 24 August regarding this worrying development.