Portugal pledges support for veterans in Mozambique
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Nuno Melo, Portugal’s Minister of National Defence, stated in Maputo, Mozambique that Portugal should not feel “trauma” or “shame” when supporting former combatants for their service.
Melo made this declaration during a visit to the headquarters of the Association of Disabled Members of the Portuguese Armed Forces in Mozambique. He identified supporting these veterans as a primary goal of the visit and described the trip as yielding practical results.
During his visit to the association’s headquarters, which hosts hundreds of veterans, Melo announced an agreement with the Mozambican government to begin renovations on the building. The project requires authorization from Mozambique, which Melo received from the Minister of Combatants during the visit. Zacarias Boane, vice president of the association and a former member of the Portuguese Armed Forces, expressed his emotion at the news. Boane noted that the veterans had felt forgotten for a long time.
The two governments also signed a memorandum of understanding to allow Portugal access to archives in Mozambique containing documentation about veterans who served in the Portuguese Armed Forces. This access will enable Portugal to verify and certify the rights of veterans who have struggled to prove their service since Mozambique’s independence, as the relevant records remained in the country.
