Mozambique: Vatican spearheads mediation between government and Renamo

The Roman Catholic church is leading negotiations towards a power sharing deal between the Mozambican government and former rebels of the national resistance, Renamo.

The catholic church says the goal is to stop further fighting between the two parties which has intensified in recent weeks.

Renamo’s leader, Afonso Dhlakama has been hiding at the Gorongoza forest amid fears that he is no longer interested in the power sharing deal.

Renamo has accused the Mozambican government of violating the 1992 peace deal which ended close to 20 years of civil war which had a catastrophic impact on the population.

Its guerilla campaign against the government restarted in 2013 living an estimated 300 people dead after Renamo’s failure to completely disarm despite the 20-year long peace deal.