Maputo, 6 Apr (AIM) – The National Petroleum Institute (INP) of Mozambique is strengthening its technical capacity for upstream supervision as part of a new cycle of cooperation with the Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD).

The project aims to raise regulatory standards and align the national oil sector with international requirements.

According to a document, available on the INP website, institutional strengthening results from a series of recent technical meetings between INP and NOD, as part of the implementation of the bilateral Energy for Development (EfD) program, launched in 2023.

The central objective is to establish a results-oriented roadmap, consolidating regulatory excellence and responding to global challenges in upstream sector supervision.

Cooperation between Mozambique and Norway in the energy sector, which spans more than five decades, has played a fundamental role in strengthening institutions, increasing technical capacity and promoting good governance practices throughout the extractive sector’s entire value chain.

The transition from the previous Oil for Development (OfD) program to Energy for Development (EfD) marks an adaptation to a new global context, characterized by increasing demands for sustainability, decarbonization and integration of renewable energies.

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) describes itself as a government agency responsible for the management and regulation of petroleum and offshore resources on the Norwegian continental shelf, ensuring the optimal use of resources with minimal environmental impact.
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Maputo, 6 Apr (AIM) – The Confederation of Business Associations of Mozambique (CTA) called on the government to pay its internal debt, after having paid in full, last March, its outstanding debt of 515.04 million Special Drawing Rights (equivalent to 630.1 million US dollars) to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to the “Total movement of outstanding credit from the IMF (from March 1, 2026 to March 31, 2026)”, Mozambique is the only country in this situation among 85 countries listed.

In a statement, the CTA called on the government to pay attention to its large domestic debts.

“CTA is fully available to continue working closely with the government and other national and international partners in identifying and implementing solutions that promote sustainable and inclusive economic development. However, the government must pay its internal debts, especially those with private entities”, reads the CTA note.

The organization believes that, in the current context of extreme poverty, the country must reinforce the importance of deepening ongoing reforms, focusing on boosting the real economy and creating sustainable opportunities for citizens.

“The challenge is to ensure that this effort is complemented by policies that stimulate national production, private investment and the competitiveness of the economy”, the document reads.

The CTA also called on the government to consolidate a growth agenda based on trust, predictability and cooperation between different economic actors.

“Mozambique has significant economic potential, the realization of which depends on the collective capacity to align policies, mobilize investments and strengthen the role of the private sector as an engine of growth and job creation”, states the organization.

The CTA also encouraged the continuation of efforts aimed at strengthening the business environment, with greater stability and regulatory predictability; facilitate access to financing and foreign exchange for the productive sector; and implement balanced tax policies that encourage investment.

“CTA defends the promotion of national production and exports; investment in infrastructure and human capital; and the strengthening of public-private dialogue as a pillar of the formulation of effective policies”, the note reads.
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Maputo, April 5 (AIM) – The regions affected by the “El Niño” climate phenomenon, in the province of Gaza, southern Mozambique, recorded unprecedented levels of precipitation during the current rainy season.

“El Niño” is a climate phenomenon that arises from the anomalous warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean that often disrupts precipitation patterns, leading to periods of drought in Southern Africa.

Data from the National Institute of Meteorology of Mozambique (INAM) show that districts in northern Gaza, historically affected by the El Niño phenomenon and generally arid or semi-arid, received in just one week the equivalent of the precipitation of an entire rainy season.

The current rainy season, which runs from October to April, has reversed a prolonged cycle of severe drought that lasted almost a decade.

According to climatologist Isaías Raiva, the districts of Massangena, Mabalane, Chicualacuala, Massingir and Mapai recorded between 400 and 500 millimeters of rain in just seven days. These volumes correspond to the accumulated average of the entire rainy season in these parts of Gaza, during normal years.

“We are talking about very large and extreme rainfall, never before recorded at this level in the semi-arid areas of Gaza,” he said.

The scenario contrasts sharply with the reality since 2016, a period marked by a sharp drop in rainfall in the north of the province. INAM data, based on analyzes of historical series, indicate a trend of progressive reduction in precipitation, aggravated by recurrent episodes of El Niño, responsible for prolonged droughts.

In recent years, accumulated precipitation has been below average, with long periods of no precipitation recorded during the rainy season. The result was crop losses, animal deaths and increased social vulnerability.

Now, exceptional rains may be a relief. Soil recovery, replenishment of water reserves and regeneration of pastures could boost agricultural production and livestock farming, the basis of the local economy.

Even so, the phenomenon raises concerns. The intensity of the rains is already causing flooding, soil erosion and damage to infrastructure, especially in areas poorly prepared for extreme events.

Given this new climate pattern, Rabies calls for mitigation and adaptation actions. “We have to prepare communities to live with these changes, because the climate will not return to normal immediately,” he said.

The 2025 State Climate Report highlights changes not only in precipitation, but also in other indicators such as sea surface temperature and sea level.

Severe flooding hit Gaza in January and again in March, and forced the temporary closure of around 240 businesses.

According to the country’s Confederation of Business Associations (CTA), cited by the independent newspaper “O País”, the situation impacted more than 3,000 workers.

“This number could further increase, as the assessment of the damage in the affected districts continues. Of the total number of workers affected, around 24 percent have permanent contracts, while the remainder are seasonal”, says the CTA.

However, the full extent of losses is still difficult to calculate, as many agricultural areas remain submerged.

According to data updated on March 31 by the relief agency, National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD), the current rainy season has already caused 309 deaths and affected around 1.06 million people across the country since October.
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Chimoio (Mozambique), 6 April (AIM) – At least nine people died and three others were injured in the collapse of an illegal gold mine in the district of Vanduzi, central province of Manica.

The tragedy occurred on Sunday in a notorious region of Minas Gerais known as “Seis Carros”.

Speaking to journalists, the governor of Manica province, Francisca Tomás, confirmed the tragedy.

“I confirm the death of nine people. Three others were injured,” he said. “Seven people died on the spot and five others were injured. Of the five injured, four were taken to hospital, of which two lost their lives.”

The governor called for sustainable and safe mining to avoid accidents that result in the loss of human lives.

“Tragedies of this nature have been recurring, especially during the rainy season, when the ground is unstable and subject to landslides. We have mobilized artisanal miners to take all precautions to avoid deaths,” he stated.

The “Seis Carros” mining region became one of the biggest attraction centers for gold prospectors in Manica. It is estimated that more than ten thousand people, including Mozambicans and foreigners, look for gold there, despite the risks.

Men and women of various ages flock to the site daily, including, in some cases, public servants who temporarily abandon their jobs in search of quick income through mining.

In addition to mining, several commercial activities are carried out on site, mostly carried out by young people, creating a parallel economy that has been growing outside the control of the authorities.

The disaster at the “Seis Carros” mine is not an isolated case. Manica has a history of accidents in artisanal mines, many of them associated with landslides during the rainy season.
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Maputo, 5 April (AIM) – The cholera outbreak in the province of Nampula, northern Mozambique, persists, but the number of cases is decreasing, according to the latest bulletin from the Ministry of Health.

The outbreak is now active in ten of Nampula’s 23 districts. No cholera deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, but 19 new cases were diagnosed. Eight of them were in the Ilha de Moçambique district

There was a cumulative total of 172 cases on the Island of Mozambique, of which 17 are hospitalized. Considering the province as a whole, 29 patients are currently hospitalized with cholera.

The total number of cases diagnosed in Nampula province since the start of the outbreak is 3,623, of which 39 have died. Nine of the known deaths occurred in health facilities and 30 in communities.

The hardest hit district is Nacala with 1,826 cases and 17 deaths. Currently five cholera patients remain hospitalized in Nacala.

The most recent statistics indicate that almost exactly 50 percent of cases (1,867) are men, while 1,824 are women. 48 percent of patients are over 15 years old, while children under five years old represent only 25 percent of cases.

Health authorities continue to call for strict observance of individual and collective hygiene measures, taking special care to avoid contamination of food and drinking water.
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Maputo, 3 April (AIM) – The Confederation of Business Associations of Mozambique (CTA) believes that women play a decisive role in the country’s economic diplomacy, demonstrating female strength in national socioeconomic development.

According to CTA executive director Teresa Muenda, speaking on Thursday in Maputo at the “Women of Excellence Conference”, despite their significant value, women still face structural challenges, including economic inequality and gender-based violence.

“Women manage approximately 60 percent of small and medium-sized businesses in our country and play a crucial role in the economy and economic diplomacy, being an essential driver for development and the generation of business opportunities,” she said.

Muenda called for greater empowerment of women because “they move societies and play a central role in economic development and economic diplomacy, promoting business opportunities and strengthening the family and community economy”.

“Women support their families, teach other communities and promote trade, crossing borders in search of opportunities. This is our women’s economic diplomacy,” she said.

Muenda also highlighted the strategic role of economic diplomacy in opening international doors for women entrepreneurs.

“Economic diplomacy generates international opportunities and allows women to transform themselves and create businesses that strengthen the economy,” she said.

“Women need real economic power, not just symbolic inclusion. When a woman grows up, a family and community thrive,” he added.

The country’s strategic geographic location and natural resources can support economic development “and women can consolidate their transformative role”.

“The country is rich in potential, but we need to ensure that women have access and space to fully develop,” she said.
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Maputo, 3 April (AIM) – Mozambican President Daniel Chapo called on Thursday for internal cohesion within the ruling party, Frelimo, and urged members to make their criticisms within Frelimo bodies and not outside them.

He was speaking in Maputo at the end of a round of regional meetings in preparation for the National Staff Conference that Frelimo intends to hold in August.

Chapo said that one of the objectives of the meeting is to collect ideas, opinions and criticisms from the party’s district and provincial secretaries, in order to strengthen Frelimo.

“Criticism and unity are what has made our party grow since its foundation, on June 25, 1962”, he declared. “But this criticism should be made inside. We are saying that we came here united, during the meeting we can make criticisms, constructive criticisms that make our party grow, and when we leave here we will remain united, heading towards our victories in 2028 and 2029 (dates of the next municipal and general elections)”.

“This is what Frelimo calls unity – critical – unity, within our party organs,” Chapo added.

He urged Frelimo members to look at the needs of the people, and particularly young Mozambicans, if they hope to win the next elections.

“These are young people who live in a world increasingly dominated by globalization. They are suffocated by floods, but above all by floods of fake news”, warned Chapo. “All of us, and particularly the Frelimo first secretaries at all levels, need to adjust our working methods to the new demands of a society undergoing profound and rapid transformation”.

The party’s first secretaries, he declared, “must base their work on love for the people because Frelimo is the people”.

In parallel with preparations for the National Cadres Conference, Frelimo is also carrying out a census of its own members. The census was essential, said Chapo, “to know exactly how many members we have in Frelimo, if the party branches really exist and where they are”.

The last publicly announced number of Frelimo members was “more than six million”.

But in the 2024 presidential elections, Frelimo won just 4.4 million votes, according to the official count. If this number is accepted, then one and a half million Frelimo members did not vote for their candidate.
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Maputo, 03 Apr (AIM) – Luís Giquira, mayor of the city of Nampula, in northern Mozambique, launched a project on Thursday to rehabilitate around 2.6 kilometers of roads.

The project, budgeted at 150 million meticais (2.3 million dollars, at current exchange rates), aims to improve urban mobility and traffic conditions.

According to Giquira, cited by the independent daily “O País”, although the road is the responsibility of the National Road Administration (ANE), the municipality decided to move forward with the intervention.

“The measure is essential to respond to residents’ concerns and ensure better traffic conditions. The works focus on Avenida 25 de Setembro, one of the city’s main roads”, he stated.

He also revealed that the project was financed from the Municipality’s own budget.

“We want the work to be done well this time, because many roads that were previously rehabilitated did not last,” he said.
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Maputo, 3 April (AIM) – The United States government donated protective equipment against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats to the Mozambican State.

The Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Maputo, Abigail Dressel, handed over the equipment to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Victor Canhemba Júnior, on Thursday.

Speaking at the delivery ceremony, Canhemba Júnior said that the gesture symbolizes “not only the delivery of material resources, but above all the strengthening of a strategic partnership based on mutual trust and commitment to the protection of human life and the environment”.

“The threats associated with dangerous substances are no longer a distant concern, but a real risk with potential impact in any region of the world,” he stated.

In the specific case of chemical agents, he warned of their devastating effects, with an impact on public health, the environment and critical infrastructures, which requires greater institutional preparation and coordinated response capacity.

In this context, he highlighted the strategic role of SENSAP (National Security and Public Assistance System) as a first-line force in emergency situations, defending the continuous investment in technical resources and the training of its personnel.

“The donation of this material represents a significant reinforcement of our operational capacity, allowing us to improve readiness levels, reduce response times and increase the effectiveness of rescue operations,” he stated.

He also valued the training component, considering that the training provided to SENSAP members is a crucial step to guarantee the correct use of equipment and the dissemination of knowledge.

“Training not only ensures the correct use of resources, but also creates a nucleus of experts capable of replicating best practices across the country,” he added.

He also highlighted that responding to incidents involving weapons of mass destruction requires an integrated approach, involving the sectors of the State apparatus that deal with health, defense, environment and civil protection.

“This is a joint effort that requires institutional coordination and a multidisciplinary approach,” he said.

Canhemba Junior also reiterated Mozambique’s commitment to aligning its prevention and response mechanisms with international standards, taking into account its geostrategic position and the challenges associated with internal security.
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Maputo, 3 April (AIM) – The Ministry of Health of Mozambique launched on Thursday a Harmonized Planning Program that aims to optimize the use of available financial resources in a context of reduced donor funding.

According to the Minister of Health, Ussene Isse, the initiative aims to align the sector’s actions at national level, involving the government, partners, civil society and communities, in order to achieve more efficient and sustainable results.

The minister explained that the new model is based on the principle of “a plan, a budget and a monitoring system”, allowing to maximize the use of scarce resources.

“This approach will help us to better use available resources and ensure a greater impact of interventions in the health sector. Among the main challenges facing the sector are reduced funding, limited visibility of available resources, fragmentation of interventions and duplication of actions at local level”, he stated.

These weaknesses, he said, result in inefficiencies, making it difficult to respond to the communities’ priority problems.

The minister highlighted that harmonized planning will allow for a clearer definition of priorities, as well as a more efficient allocation of resources.

The initiative should also strengthen the community subsystem, promoting greater coherence between the priorities of the health sector and other areas of development, with a direct impact on improving access to healthcare.

Isse also highlighted the role of donors, euphemistically called “cooperation partners”, whose interventions, especially at community level, will be better coordinated through this model.

“The objective is to create a clear matrix of interventions by non-governmental organizations and partners, by province and district, in order to avoid duplication and improve the effectiveness of actions”, he said.
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