MAPUTO, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and opposition Renamo party leader Ossufo Momade signed an agreement on ending hostilities on Thursday in the eastern Sofala province.
"Everything belongs to the past. We are having a page defended and assumed by what we are doing today, " said the president of the Republic.
Nyusi said the intensification of violence in some parts of the country was increasing, distancing the parties. Later intervention from the international community helped, and there were truce.
According to Nyusi, the final peace agreement will soon be signed in Mozambique's capital Maputo.
"After several years of dialogue, we are in Gorongosa to tell the Mozambicans and the world that we have just taken another step that shows that the march towards effective peace is really irreversible," said Nyusi.
Nyusi added that military clashes have slowed the development of the country and the repetition of evil must be avoided.
"Today is indelibly marked in the heart of the Mozambican people as the day when brothers met to say 'war is enough' to develop Mozambique," said Nyusi.
"The history of hostilities between members of the same family is history. We have chosen to bury armed confrontation definitively," Nyusi said.
In Gorongosa, where the peace agreement was signed, it was the epicenter of the confrontation between government forces and Renamo's armed men, under the leadership of then-leader Afonso Dhlakama.
Dhlakama, who died in 2018, signed the last two agreements aiming for peace with the government in 1992 and in 2014 respectively.
There will be no connotation of the specter of violence in the country, a new era without weapons has opened to show political differences, Nyusi said.
"The spirit of tolerance and respect must be observed among Mozambicans," he said.
For his part, Renamo party leader Ossufo Momade said after the signing of cessation of hostilities agreement that national reconciliation promotes healthy living among Mozambicans.
"It's a golden page that we opened today. It is registered in the annals of our history the day of the reunion of the Mozambican family, " Momade said.
According to the president of Renamo, with the signing of the agreement, it is intended to bring to the people and the world that violence was buried as a way of enunciating differences.
"We believe that peace is here to stay, multi-party coexistence will be the hallmark of political parties," he said.
Momade emphasized that after the deal signed, elections are expected to be fair, free and transparent.
"We call on the parties to deliver on the promises of the agreement, because only then will there be stability and social harmony," said Momade.
The violent past has shown that it undermines the country's development, Momade said, stressing that the principles of the agreement must be observed for social harmony.
"We pledge to respect and comply with all agreements in the spirit of the letter without reservation," he said.
The signing of cessation of hostilities agreement was witnessed by the diplomatic corps in Mozambique, the joint technical group and common citizens interested.
In a symbolic act after the agreement was signed, Momade handed over a firearm to Nyusi as they exchanged hugs and handshakes.
With this agreement, Renamo wants an equitable distribution of powers in all sectors of the state: police, economic inclusion, intelligence and state security services, among other sectors.
Due to violations in the former peace deals signed by the parties, Renamo's armed men returned to bush, attacking vehicles and people in the central region of the country, compromising the flow of economy.
