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==Political history before the introduction of democracy== The last 25 years of [[Mozambique]]'s history have encapsulated the political developments of the entire 20th century. [[Portugal|Portuguese]] [[colonialism]] collapsed in 1974 after a decade of armed struggle, initially led by [[United States|American]]-educated [[Eduardo Mondlane]], who was assassinated in 1969. When independence was proclaimed in 1975, the leaders of [[FRELIMO]]'s military campaign rapidly established a one-party state allied to the [[Soviet bloc]], eliminating political pluralism, religious educational institutions, and the role of traditional authorities. Mozambique's Portuguese population were ordered to leave the country within 24 hours, an order which was given by [[Armando Guebuza]]. Panicked Portuguese left the country via plane, road and sea and had to leave behind all their assets, returning to Portugal where they became destitute and fell under the ridicule of the European Portuguese who saw their rehabilitation as a burden on the country's meager resources. They became known as the "retornados" or refugees. Many Portuguese took their own lives. The new government gave shelter and support to [[South Africa]]n ([[African National Congress|ANC]]) and [[Zimbabwe]]an ([[ZANU-PF]]) guerrilla movements while the governments of apartheid [[South Africa]] and [[Rhodesia]] fostered and financed an armed rebel movement in central Mozambique called the Mozambican National Resistance ([[RENAMO]]). [[Civil war]], sabotage from neighbouring states, and economic collapse characterised the first decade of Mozambican independence. Also marking this period were the mass exodus of Portuguese nationals, weak infrastructure, nationalisation, and economic mismanagement. During most of the civil war the government was unable to exercise effective control outside of urban areas, many of which were cut off from the capital. An estimated one million Mozambicans perished during the civil war, 1.7 million took refuge in neighbouring states, and several million more were internally displaced. In the third FRELIMO party congress in 1983, President [[Samora Machel]] conceded the failure of socialism and the need for major political and economic reforms. His death, along with several advisers, in a suspicious plane crash in 1986 interrupted progress. His successor, [[Joaquim Chissano]], continued the reforms and began peace talks with RENAMO. The new constitution enacted in 1990 provided for a multi-party political system, [[market economy|market-based economy]], and free elections. The civil war ended in October 1992 with the [[Rome General Peace Accords]]. By mid-1995 the over 1.7 million Mozambican refugees who had sought asylum in neighbouring [[Malawi]], Zimbabwe, [[Swaziland]], [[Zambia]], [[Tanzania]], and South Africa as a result of war and drought had returned, as part of the largest repatriation witnessed in [[Sub-Sahara]]n Africa. Additionally, a further estimated 4 million internally displaced returned to their areas of origin. Under supervision of the [[ONUMOZ]] peacekeeping force of the [[United Nations]], peace returned to Mozambique. In 1994 the country held its first democratic elections. [[Joaquim Chissano]] was elected president with 53% of the vote, and a 250-member [[National Assembly]] was voted in with 129 FRELIMO deputies, 112 RENAMO deputies, and 9 representatives of three smaller parties that formed the [[Democratic Union (Mozambique)|Democratic Union]] (UD).
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