The baseline situation was incredibly low, yet during the past 15 years, Mozambique has managed to put a stop to a savage civil war, create lasting peace and post sustained growth rates of more than eight per cent a year. Mozambique is one of Africa's absolute successes, thinks Denmark's new ambassador to the country, Johnny Flentø.
"Mozambique gained its independence late on, and the population numbered among the most poorly educated in Africa. A protracted war of liberation was followed by only a few years' peace after independence in 1975, then a gruelling and prolonged civil war broke out.
"It was not until 20 years or so after the majority of other African countries had achieved independence that development was able to get off to a proper start in Mozambique. Nevertheless, the country today is a democracy and a reasonably well-managed land, macro-economically speaking," he says.
And there are plenty of opportunities for development to continue, Flentø feels:
"Mozambique's potential is not bound up with an extraction economy such as oil or diamonds - that was also the reason why the war was able to stop. The country's growth comes from many sectors, particularly agriculture, which can still absorb a lot of people. That makes the economy more resilient."
Mozambique has no shortage of challenges either, of course. In particular, HIV/Aids poses a threat to development, as does mounting corruption. Nonetheless, Johnny Flentø is an optimist. "Mozambique is a pioneering country in peace terms, has responsible leadership, an industrious population and good natural resources. I firmly believe in it. It is capable of becoming one of the places that does really well."
By: Janne Toft Jensen, jaje@cowi.dk Published 29.10.2007