By Victor Igreja

In the last ten years, the Southern African region in particular Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe have gone through transitional processes characterised by rapid changes in the socio-cultural, political and economic levels. Although these three countries share a different historical past, they share several common aspects in their present and future prospects.

The three countries belong to the Southern African Development Community where each of them share different Ministerial responsibilities. The three countries boosted by their political leaderships have been involved in the establishment of different economic partnerships, institutional development and co-operation programs, and socio-cultural projects.

In Mozambique after nearly three decades of wars and a failed revolutionary Marxist-Leninist policy, a new Constitution was adopted in 1990 and the market economy replaced the centralised form of development planing. In October 1992, the Mozambican authorities reached a peace agreement with Renamo and gave the first steps towards the democratisation of the country.

Although the cessation of combat and the consequent peace agreement and reintegration of about 90,000 demobilized soldiers brought relief for the majority of Mozambican citizens, the reconciliation, democratisation and development process remains very volatile. The Mozambican Government did not develop any formal policy of reconciliation or truth and justice commission to provide justice for the civilians that were victims of abuses and dehumanising acts committed by both the Government and Renamo troops during the war. Initiatives for reconciliation and trauma recovery were bestowed to the individuals and their devastated communities.

Results from a longitudinal community-based research carried out by me in Gorongosa, central Mozambique, demonstrates that there is not much difference between psychosocial suffering during and after the war. (2001) War survivors, in particular women suffer from a range of mental health problems including symptoms of depression, nightmares loaded with contents of sexual assault, marital relationships aggravated by the endless cycle of domestic violence, abuse of alcohol, difficulties to have and to raise children, social stigmatisation and isolation.

I have investigated how individuals and their communities were trying to rebuild their destroyed communities and recover from the war traumas. In addition, his results also demonstrate that the failure to punish or to make justice by those in power is permanently causing physical and moral degradation to the majority of war survivors. Like in other parts of the world, these victims, after being used and abused, were neglected and considered by the State as unimportant, isolated people living in remote areas.

The unresolved traumas of war, denial by those in power to acknowledge the pain and suffering civilians have gone through exacerbated by poverty and the recent floods (February 2000) that devastated the country represents a serious challenge and threat to the reconstruction process and developmental initiatives at community level.

At political level, the behaviour and clashing interests of the two main political parties (Frelimo and Renamo) contributes to perpetuate a scenario of socio-political instability throughout the country. The necessary reconciliation between the two political protagonists is still far from the optimum level. It appears that Mozambican politicians are not prepared yet to make compromises that would result in a less controversial and violent transitional process.

Nearly ten years after the peace agreement, unnecessary loss of human lives continues to characterise the present reality because of lack of flexibility and vision from those holding political power. The recent violent events that took place mainly in the Center and Northern regions seem to be a symptom of a problem that gradually takes its own shape with unpredictable aftermath. It is clear that time by itself will not change this scenario. Initiatives from different civil society movements are required urgently if peace and development are to last in the country.

Victor Igreja is a psychologist, pedagogue, and medical anthropologist from "Associação Esperança Para Todos" (AEPATO) working in Gorongosa district, a former war-zone in Sofala Province.