Southern Africa: Mozambique-Malawi Joint Defence Commission Meets

The Mozambique-Malawi Joint Defence and Security Commission met last week in Lilongwe to discuss ways of exercising effective control over the lengthy border between the two countries.

The longest of any of Mozambique's borders is with Malawi, which thrusts like a dagger into the centre of the country. The border is regularly violated, particularly by people fleeing from the Great Lakes region. It is hoped that greater control over the frontier will also help combat smuggling, particularly of sugar. Contraband Malawian sugar is a threat to Mozambique's own sugar industry.

According to a source in the general staff of the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM), the meeting also discussed holding joint exercises to prepare soldiers of the two countries for peace-keeping and humanitarian missions.

Other matters on the agenda included using the military training facilities that exist in both countries, the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS among the armed forces, and mechanisms to make operational the protocol on defence and security signed by the two governments.

The Mozambican delegation was led by Deputy Defence Minister Agostinho Mondlane, and also included the Deputy Minister of the Interior Jose Mandra.

AIM also learnt that the FADM will shortly possess a riot control unit. Three high ranking officers from the Military Police have recently returned from Portugal where they attended a course on riot control.

According to the head of operations of the Military Police, Major Eduardo Boca, these three officers will train the first group of soldiers who will join the new unit. "We are ready to start training this unit, and we believe we can endow it with people who have the skills necessary to control riots", he said.

To date, the government has used the riot police (or "rapid intervention force") to deal with street disturbance. This unit has often been accused of the excessive use of force, and when large scale rioting broke out in Maputo on 5 February, in protests against a rise in passenger transport fares, the riot police proved completely unable to handle the situation.