Mediators postpones Mozambican peace talks over killing of opposition delegate

Peace mediators have issued a request to both Mozambican government and main opposition delegations for the postponing of peace talks.

According to the Italian Mario Raffaelli coordinator of the international mediators, the decision follows the killing of a senior delegate of the main opposition party and member of State Council Jeremias Pondeca last Saturday.

Mediators said that next meeting should discuss means of accelerating the talks towards peace and the reflection brings together a much stronger perspective following the killing of the delegate.

The mediators hope that the course of the talks will continue following the same path despite the condemned crime.

Jeremias Pondeca was shot dead by unknown individuals when he was in his regular exercises in one of the prominent areas of the country's capital Maputo.

The main opposition party reacted to the killing and called the authors of the crime as enemies of democracy but guarantee that peace talks will continue.

"Every hostility ends in the dialogue table, we will not be intimidated by the heinous crime and will continue with the peace talks," said Antonio Muchanga, spokesperson of the main opposition in a press conference in Maputo.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi also reacted to the crime and issued a press release expressing his condolences to the family and the main opposition party for the loss of a man who contributed to this country in different manners including in State Council.

The president condemned the crime and so did diplomatic missions from the France and United States of America that point out to peace, the first priority for the country. Endit