ZIMBABWE: PRIME MINISTER MUGABE AND PRESIDENT MACHEL MEET TO DISCUSS ZIMBABWE/MOZAMBIQUE RELATIONS.

Record ID: 863326

  • Title: ZIMBABWE: PRIME MINISTER MUGABE AND PRESIDENT MACHEL MEET TO DISCUSS ZIMBABWE/MOZAMBIQUE RELATIONS.
  • Date: 14th July 1981
  • Summary: UMTALI, ZIMBABWE (13 JULY, 1981) REUTERS - CHRIS EVERSON GV Aircraft landing. GV Prime Minister Robert Mugabe leaves plane and greeted by Mayor of Umtali. SV Zimbabwe Air Force helicopter and crew. GV Mugabe waves in greeting to crowd of children. GV Machel's helicopter arrives. GV Mugabe and party ZOOM TO helicopter. Mugabe. SV Mugabe embraces President Samora Machel of Mozambique and they walk away. SV Machel greeted by officials. GV Building where meeting took place. SV Machel and Mugabe seated. GV Conference taking place.
  • Embargoed: 29th July 1981 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
  • City:
  • Country: Zimbabwe
  • Topics: International Relations,People
  • Reuters ID: LVACK2DBL1BVABUN1OXLW9QT9O3Q
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: INTRODUCTION: Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Robert Mugabe flew to the border city of Umtali on Monday (13 July) for talks with President Samora Machel of Mozambique. The two men have been expressing concern about security along their common border, and both are known to hold fears about the safety of the two railway lines that cross Mozambique to the sea.

    SYNOPSIS: The meeting was the latest in a series of consultations for the meeting with President Machel. Included in his delegation were members of the Zimbabwe Joint High Command and the country's Intelligence Chief. the talks were arranged at short notice, and Mr. Mugabe appeared both surprised and delighted at his official greeting and welcome by the children of Umtali.

    President Machel made the journey by helicopter. Last year he enlisted Mr. Mugabe's support in combating a resurgence of activity by the anti-government Mozambique Resistance Movement (MRM) close to the Zimbabwe border. Now the two leaders face threats to the key rail links to Beira and Maputo by the dissident movement within Mozambique. The two lines that run from Zimbabwe carry an increasing proportion of the country's trade as it seeks to reduce dependence on the South African transport system. Their other common interest is border security.

    While the Mozambique Resistance Movement does not appear as a real threat to President Machel, it is an embarrassment and a source of potentially serious problems to both countries.

    At the venue for the talks in Umtali the delegations spent around five hours discussing their mutual problems.

    There was speculation the two leaders might announce a joint military exercise against the Mozambique dissidents, but later President Machel would only say they spoke about economic progress.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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