Editing Mozambique (section)

===Mozambican Civil War (1977–1992)===
{{Main|People's Republic of Mozambique|Mozambican Civil War}}
[[File:Land mine victim 2 (4364914733).jpg|thumb|left|A land mine victim in Mozambique]]
The [[People's Republic of Mozambique|new government]] under President [[Samora Machel]] established a [[one-party state]] based on [[Marxism|Marxist]] principles. It received diplomatic and some military support from [[Cuba]] and the [[Soviet Union]] and proceeded to crack down on opposition.<ref>''Mozambique: a tortuous road to democracy'' by J .Cabrita, Macmillan 2001 {{ISBN|978-0-333-92001-5}}</ref> Starting shortly after independence, the country was plagued from 1977 to 1992 by a long and violent civil war between the opposition forces of anti-communist Mozambican National Resistance ([[RENAMO]]) rebel militias and the FRELIMO regime. This conflict characterised the first decades of Mozambican independence, combined with sabotage from the neighbouring states of [[Rhodesia]] and South Africa, ineffective policies, failed central planning, and the resulting economic collapse. This period was also marked by the exodus of Portuguese nationals and Mozambicans of Portuguese heritage,<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,913229-1,00.html Dismantling the Portuguese Empire] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723130930/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,913229-1,00.html |date=23 July 2013 }}, ''Time'' (Monday, 7 July 1975).</ref> a collapsed infrastructure, lack of investment in productive assets, and government nationalisation of privately owned industries, as well as widespread famine.

During most of the civil war, the FRELIMO-formed central government was unable to exercise effective control outside urban areas, many of which were cut off from the capital.<ref name=BilateralRelationsFactSheet/> RENAMO-controlled areas included up to 50% of the rural areas in several provinces, and it is reported that health services of any kind were isolated from assistance for years in those areas. The problem worsened when the government cut back spending on health care.<ref name="Pfeiffer. J. 2003">{{cite journal|pmid=12560007|year=2003|last1=Pfeiffer|first1=J|title=International NGOs and primary health care in Mozambique: The need for a new model of collaboration|volume=56|issue=4|pages=725–38|journal=Social Science & Medicine|doi=10.1016/s0277-9536(02)00068-0}}</ref> The war was marked by mass human rights violations from both sides of the conflict, with both RENAMO and FRELIMO contributing to the chaos through the use of terror and indiscriminate targeting of civilians.<ref name="autogenerated1">[http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/SOD.TAB14.1C.GIF Table 14.1C Centi-Kilo Murdering States: Estimates, Sources and Calculations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011172148/http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/SOD.TAB14.1C.GIF |date=11 October 2017 }}. hawaii.edu</ref><ref>Gersony 1988, p.30f.</ref> The central government executed tens of thousands of people while trying to extend its control throughout the country and sent many people to "re-education camps" where thousands died.<ref name=autogenerated1/>

[[File:RhodesiaAllies1975-en.svg|thumb|The geopolitical situation in 1975; nations friendly to the FRELIMO are shown in orange.]]
During the war, RENAMO proposed a peace agreement based on the secession of RENAMO-controlled northern and western territories as the independent ''Republic of Rombesia'', but FRELIMO refused, insisting on the undivided sovereignty of the entire country. An estimated one million Mozambicans perished during the civil war, 1.7&nbsp;million took refuge in neighbouring states, and several million more were internally displaced.<ref>Perlez, Jane (13 October 1992). [https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/13/world/a-mozambique-formally-at-peace-is-bled-by-hunger-and-brutality.html A Mozambique Formally at Peace Is Bled by Hunger and Brutality] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326092019/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/13/world/a-mozambique-formally-at-peace-is-bled-by-hunger-and-brutality.html |date=26 March 2019 }}, ''The New York Times''</ref> The FRELIMO regime also gave shelter and support to South African ([[African National Congress]]) and Zimbabwean ([[Zimbabwe African National Union]]) rebel movements, while the governments of Rhodesia and later Apartheid South Africa backed RENAMO in the civil war.<ref name=BilateralRelationsFactSheet/> Between 300,000 and 600,000 people died of famine during the war.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mozambique|url=https://communistcrimes.org/en/countries/mozambique|access-date=29 October 2020|website=Mozambique {{!}} Communist Crimes|language=en|archive-date=30 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030143855/https://communistcrimes.org/en/countries/mozambique|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 19 October 1986, Machel was on his way back from an international meeting in Zambia when his [[1986 Mozambican Tupolev Tu-134 crash|plane crashed]] in the [[Lebombo Mountains]] near [[Mbuzini]] in South Africa. President Machel and thirty-three others died, including ministers and officials of the Mozambique government. The United Nations' Soviet delegation issued a minority report contending that their expertise and experience had been undermined by the South Africans. Representatives of the Soviet Union advanced the theory that the plane had been intentionally diverted by a false [[VHF omnidirectional range|navigational beacon]] signal, using a technology provided by military intelligence operatives of the South African government.<ref name="TRC">{{cite web|title=Special Investigation into the death of President Samora Machel|work=[[Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)|Truth and Reconciliation Commission]] Report, vol.2, chapter 6a|url=http://www.news24.com/Content_Display/TRC_Report/2chap6a.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060413084020/http://www.news24.com/Content_Display/TRC_Report/2chap6a.htm|archive-date=13 April 2006|access-date=18 June 2006}}</ref>

Machel's successor [[Joaquim Chissano]] implemented sweeping changes in the country, starting reforms such as changing from Marxism to capitalism and began peace talks with RENAMO. The new constitution enacted in 1990 provided for a [[multi-party system|multi-party political system]], a [[market economy|market-based economy]], and free elections. That same year, Mozambique abolished the people's republic as the country's official name. The civil war ended in October 1992 with the [[Rome General Peace Accords]], first brokered by the Christian Council of Mozambique (Council of Protestant Churches) and then taken over by [[Community of Sant'Egidio]]. Peace returned to Mozambique, under the supervision of the [[United Nations Operation in Mozambique|peacekeeping force of the United Nations]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110516080313/http://popp.gmu.edu/resource-bk/mission/onumoz.html UNITED NATIONS OPERATION IN MOZAMBIQUE]. popp.gmu.edu</ref><ref name=BilateralRelationsFactSheet/>