With peace, the country started to experience rapid economic growth. However, the benefits of this growth were not felt by most and over half of the population remained below the poverty line. This contributed to Renamo reneging on the peace agreement, and in 2013 they launched a low-level insurgency. In 2014, a new peace deal was negotiated and signed shortly before the general elections. However, the election results were disputed, and the deal was short-lived, as violence re-surfaced in 2015.

From the outset, the peace process placed the Principals at its centre. This increased the accountability of the parties to the process and to reaching a solution. The Principals officially launched the national peace process on 1st March 2017. It had the following key components: a Decentralisation Commission, to design a proposal for a new framework for decentralisation, a Military Affairs Commission, to table a proposal for the definitive DDR of Renamo combatants and a Joint Monitoring and Verification Team, to oversee adherence to the ceasefire and investigate reports of conflicts as a confidence building measure. A Contact Group, chaired by the Swiss Ambassador to Mozambique, Mirko Manzoni was formed to coordinate the international community’s support. A Secretariat was also established in early 2017 to support the process. 

Renamo signalled their commitment to the process by officially starting the DDR process, alongside Government counterparts, in Gorongosa on 29 July 2019, before the final peace agreement was signed. This combination of early-stage implementation during the negotiations helped build trust on both sides and led to the signing of the Agreement on the Definitive Cessation of Military Hostilities and the Maputo Accord for Peace and National Reconciliation in August 2019. These agreements commit both parties to end all political and military hostilities and to implement, in full, the legislative package on decentralisation. Furthermore, both parties reaffirmed their desire to see a future of peace and reconciliation in Mozambique and promised to prioritise dialogue as a means for settling grievances. In July 2019, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, appointed Ambassador Manzoni as his Personal Envoy for Mozambique. This ensured continuity in the approach to facilitating dialogue between the Government and Renamo and support for the subsequent implementation of the peace accord.

Despite the challenges imposed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, from the project inception through to the end of 2021, 3,267 DDR beneficiaries (156 women and 3,111 men), equivalent to 63 percent of the total number of DDR beneficiaries, participated in DDR activities and returned home to begin the process of socio-economic reintegration in their communities, with 11 Renamo military bases closed.

As the DDR process continued to demonstrate positive results, members of the Renamo Military Junta (RMJ) laid down their weapons to pursue a path of peace. However, despite extensive outreach by the Government, Renamo and the Personal Envoy, effective dialogue with the leader of the RMJ, Mariano Nhongo, toward a peaceful outcome proved challenging. Mr Nhongo died in a confrontation with the Defense and Security Forces in October. The remaining members of the RMJ were demobilised in December 2021, bringing the country closer to the realisation of lasting peace. 

Important advances were also made through the reintegration process, with the Personal Envoy and PPS engaging with the Government, private sector and development stakeholders to advance reintegration by identifying economic, livelihood and education opportunities across Mozambique. 

Efforts during 2021 also focused on advancing reconciliation, as PPS collaborated with five new or reactivated peace clubs and a wider national reconciliation campaign (‘A Paz é Nossa Cultura’) in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

The Mozambican peace process has seen significant successes in 2023. One of the key highlights has been the completion of the disarmament and demobilisation phase of DDR, following the closure of the final Renamo base in Vunduzi, in June 2023. With this milestone, all 5,221 DDR beneficiaries (271 women and 4,950 men) have settled in communities across Mozambique and have begun their journey towards reintegration. This achievement was a result of the sustained dedication on the part of the Principals, President Nyusi and leader of Renamo, Ossufo Momade, to implementing the Maputo Accord and securing a future of sustainable peace in Mozambique. These efforts were supported by the good offices of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General of Mozambique. 

In April a historic decree was passed that extends a pension to eligible women and men demobilised as part of the implementation of the Maputo Accord. This will provide DDR beneficiaries with a sense of dignity and recognition, furthering social inclusion, and setting an example of reconciliation for the rest of the world.

The year also began with Mozambique taking up its non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), for the first time in its history. This provided the country with an opportunity to share its peacebuilding experience and lessons learned on the global stage. During its Presidency of the Council in March, Mozambique prioritised topics including Women, Peace and Security, Counter-Terrorism, Peace and Security in Africa, and Climate and Security.

Work on reintegration has continued in earnest within the framework of three pillars – the individual, family and community – and in light of the final group of demobilised DDR beneficiaries recently settling in communities across various provinces in June. Sustained attention has been given to finding and securing economic, education and livelihood opportunities in nearly every district of the country.