Mozambique after Live Aid

Mozambique has a troubled past defined by civil war, corruption and famine. Since 1992 however things have improved somewhat, with a more stable political situation allowing for increased economic development. Poverty still defines much of the country and a large proportion of the population do not get their basic needs met.

In 2012 Mozambique was worryingly ranked 185th out of 187 countries on the Human Development Index; it clearly has a long development path ahead of it. The outlook for Mozambique is not helped by the frequency of natural disasters which often undo any progress, such as in infrastructure, that has been made. SOS Children has been working in Mozambique since the 1980s when the country was enduring a bloody civil war, orphaning many children.

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Time Line

• 1975 Mozambique gains independence. A one party system is in place, led by Frelimo and Samora Machel as president.

• 1976 Lourenco Marques changes his name to Maputo.

• 1986 The President  is killed in an aeroplane crash, his is succeeded by Joaquim Chissano.

• 1987 SOS Children begins working in Mozambique constructing SOS Children’s Village Tete.

• 1989 Children’s Village Tete opens, providing a loving home for children who lost parents in the war. SOS Children also provides emergency aid after a famine.

• 1990 The government allows a multi-party political arena after amending the constitution. The first talks are held between the government and Renamo.

• 1992 President Chissano and Renamo leader Afonso Dhaklama sign an accord in Rome. SOS Children open their second village; SOS Children’s Village Maputo.

• 1994 Chissano is reelected.

• 1995 Mozambique is accepted as a Commonwealth member.

• 1999 Chissano once again defeats Renamo's candidate in the latest presidential elections. SOS Children’s Village Pemba is finished, it includes a Nursery, Primary and Secondary School.

• 2000 (February) Massive flooding devastates the country, leaving thousands homeless.

• 2000 (November) Deadly riots breakout as Renamo protest against the elections of the previous year.

• 2001 Flooding in the Zambezi Valley displaces around 70,000 people.

• 2002 An SOS Social Centre opens within the SOS community at Maputo.

• 2003 Brazil makes a promise to construct a plant in Mozambique producing anti-retroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS victims.

• 2005 FrelimoArmando Guebuza takes on the presidency having beaten Renamo’s candidate.

• 2006 The World Bank cancels a significant amount of Mozambique's debt. A deal promoted by the G8 nations. SOS Children’s Village Inhambane opens its doors to vulnerable children and young people.

• 2007 The Chinese President promises interest-free loans for agriculture, health and education. An SOS Children’s Social Centre opens, serving the area around Kapaia.

• 2008 Flooding in the Zambezi valley once again displaces scores of people. 

• 2009 A UN announcement states that 350,000 people require need of food aid thanks to poor harvests caused by poor rainfall.

• 2009 (October) The government announces it has secured a $500m loan from the European Union and Danish and Dutch governments in order to construct a railway line that will connect the coal-rich northern Moatize mines to the port of Nacala by 2015. President Guebuza wins re-election with a significant majority. The opposition party Renamo argues that the election was fraudulent and independent monitors agree that the election commission lacks independence.

• 2010 (September) Protests erupt over high food prices.
  

• 2010 (December) Mozambique is revealed to have become a leading drug trafficking hub. WikiLeaks evidence shows that several senior figures know about the extent of the drugs trade in Mozambique but choose to ignore it. The maternal death rate stands at 490 deaths per 100,000 live births, 19th worst in the world.
  

• 2011 An Italian energy company announces that it has made a giant gas off the Mozambican coast.  SOS Children’s Village Chimoio opens its doors.

• 2013 Once again tensions rise between the state and opposition Renamo. There is widespread fear that the country is on the brink of a return to civil war. SOS Children’s Village Beira is under construction. Infant mortality rate is 74.63 deaths per 1,000 live births, the 13th highest rate in the world.