Skip to main content
Support
Blog post

In Mozambique, Patriota Discusses Joint Efforts for Peace and Stability in Africa

antonio-patriota

Portuguese Translation of the week

Antonio Patriota, Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke with Oldemiro Baloi, Foreign Minister of Mozambique on July 17th about joint efforts that can be made to achieve peace and stability in Africa. The continent is currently undergoing crises in Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Sudan, Mali and Congo. In a public statement, the Foreign Ministry of Brazil (Itamaraty) condemned the attacks on the military and the police force during a United Nations operation in Sudan four days ago.

"Brasília – O ministro das Relações Exteriores, Antonio Patriota, conversou hoje (17) com o chanceler de Moçambique, Oldemiro Baloi, sobre os esforços conjuntos que podem ser feitos para buscar a paz e a estabilidade na África. O continente sofre com crises no Egito, na Guiné-Bissau, no Sudão, no Mali e no Congo. Em nota, o Ministério das Relações Exteriores, Itamaraty, condenou o ataque a militares e policiais durante operação das Nações Unidas em Darfur, no Sudão, há quatro dias."

This article has been translated from Portuguese. Click here to read the original version on EBC.com 

The statement emphasized that "the Brazilian government condemns the attack against the military and the police force carried out during Operation Hybrid conducted by The African Union and the United Nation in Darfur (Unamid) on July 13, which resulted in seven dead Tanzanian soldiers and seventeen injured."

Sudan has been under constant stress for over ten years due to clashes between rebel groups that consistently target government posts and security forces. The conflicts revolve around ethnic and religious issues, especially among Arab and Muslim tribes of the region.

During their conversation, Patriota thanked Baloi for Mozambique's support in the election of Brazilian Ambassador Roberto Azevedo as Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Foreign Minister of Mozambique took the opportunity to reiterate that the African country counts with the support of Brazil to join the Board of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Patriota is in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, for the 18th meeting of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP). The community is formed by Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, as well as East Timor. Ministers will discuss the topic of New Paradigms and the Future of CPLP in the Era of Globalization.

The strengthening of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries and the evolution of the political and institutional situation in Guinea-Bissau – which underwent a coup in 2012 and is preparing for presidential elections in November – will also be discussed.  The foreign ministers of these countries will deal with the preparations for the second International Conference on the future of the Portuguese language in the world system and issues of food security and nutrition.

During its seventeen years of existence, CPLP has intensified political articulation among the block of countries, which has resulted in concrete actions for cooperation in areas such as public health, agriculture and vocational training. The trade flow between Brazil and the CPLP countries grew five times larger from 1996 to 2012, increasing from US $740 million to US $4 billion.

Photo attributed to Ministério das Relações Exteriores on Flickr Commons

Related Program

Africa Program

The Africa Program works to address the most critical issues facing Africa and US-Africa relations, build mutually beneficial US-Africa relations, and enhance knowledge and understanding about Africa in the United States. The Program achieves its mission through in-depth research and analyses, public discussion, working groups, and briefings that bring together policymakers, practitioners, and subject matter experts to analyze and offer practical options for tackling key challenges in Africa and in US-Africa relations.    Read more