“Satisfied to see a country looking to the future, with a climate aiming for economic and social development, financial progress, justice, and consequently political and institutional stability,” remarked President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa upon arriving in Maputo. He commented on the peace Mozambique has experienced since March, following five months of post-electoral unrest which resulted in around 400 deaths.
The Portuguese President arrived at Maputo’s Air Base at approximately 19:00 local time (18:00 in Lisbon), where he was greeted by members of the Mozambican government and a traditional Mozambican music and dance group. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who will remain in Maputo until Thursday, is among over 30 heads of state attending the ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of Mozambique’s independence on June 25, 1975.
“It’s particularly significant that Mozambique is entering a new political cycle, which besides celebrating the 50 years, highlights the need to look toward the future. The President of Mozambique will visit Europe shortly and will be in Portugal on July 3. We will meet here tomorrow and again on July 3 in Lisbon,” Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa added.
“This demonstrates that the world doesn’t stop, friendships deepen, cooperation grows, and jointly building the future intensifies. This is the crucial significance of my presence here on behalf of all Portuguese citizens,” he continued.
The Portuguese head of state noted that this visit marks the commencement of a cycle celebrating 50 years of independence for fraternal states. “In 2023, there was the unilateral independence celebrated in Guinea-Bissau. However, in this cycle, Mozambique comes first, followed by Cape Verde, then São Tomé and Príncipe, and later Angola. In the case of Mozambique, many important aspects converge. I don’t even mention the obvious affective ties, which you already know: I often say this is like my second homeland,” he stated.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa emphasized that Portugal’s cooperation with Mozambique “has increased over the 50 years, particularly in recent years.” “I would highlight, for instance, political cooperation, military cooperation, healthcare cooperation—we had the pandemic in between—cultural cooperation, and economic and financial cooperation, all of which are to be continued and deepened. All these make it a particularly significant moment,” he acknowledged.
Mozambique will celebrate its 50th year of independence on Wednesday with a primary ceremony in Maputo, led by President Daniel Chapo.
The central ceremonies will take place at the historic Machava Stadium, in the Mozambican capital, where the country’s first President, Samora Machel, proclaimed independence in the early hours of June 25, 1975, after a struggle against the Portuguese colonial regime that began on September 25, 1964.
Besides the official speech from Mozambique’s President, the ceremony will include military parades, cultural moments, a message from citizens turning 50 (the same period as independence), and an address from the leader of Podemos, the main opposition party.
About 40,000 people are expected at Machava Stadium, which has an official capacity of 45,000, in an event also marked by the arrival of the unity flame, which has traveled across the country since April 7. The flame will be used by the head of state to light the stadium’s pyre.
