The president of the republic postponed his visit to Quelimane, which he had planned for this month, when he visited that country for an official visit last March.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa had at the time expressed his interest in accepting the invitation of the local diocese to accompany the reopening of the recently restored cathedral in Quelimane.
Nevertheless, early in the morning this Wednesday by DN on the exact date of the visit and whether the delegation could also include Admiral Gouveia e Melo, a resident of that city and also invited by the local authorities, the President announced that this visit had been postponed.
A note later published on the Presidency’s official website explains that “when the Portugal-Mozambique summit, in Maputo, was postponed and the President of the Republic canceled the planned trip to a United Nations summit, It was agreed between the Portuguese and Mozambican presidents that the trip to Quelimane, scheduled for this month, would also be postponed to a date to be determined, but always after the Maputo summit”.
After this postponement, the official note also adds: “The President of the Republic will receive, in an audience already requested, a delegation from the entity promoting the initiative in Quelimane, already in September next year”.
As for the possible integration into his entourage, on a future visit to the city, of the current Chief of Staff of the Navy (CEMA), born in Quelimane and whose visit has been requested by the Mayor Manuel Araújoon the occasion of the city’s jubilee on the 21st, is unclear.
The possible relocation of Marcelo and Gouveia e Melo has been commented on locally with some expectation. Manuel Araújo, contacted by the DN, said he was not aware of the decision announced today.
“I have no information about the postponement of the visit of Professor Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. We invite not only the admiral, who was born and raised in Quelimane, as well as the President of the Portuguese Republic, the Prime Minister António Costa, the deputy Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, and other Portuguese personalities,” he said.
On his Facebook page, the mayor shared an article from a local newspaper on August 4 with Gouveia and Melo in the foreground.
The text entitled “Machuabo (Ethnic Group of Quelimane) Praised New Messiah of Portugal”, recalls the work in coordinating the vaccination plan against Covid-19 and the origin of the admiral, who died in that city on November 21, 1960. was born .
When asked whether CEMA has already responded to this invitation, the Navy recalls that these trips must be approved by the superior, that is, by the Ministry of National Defence.
This would be Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s fourth visit, as President of the Republic, to Mozambique, which he chose as the destination for his first state visit in May 2016, limited to the capital and surroundings, and to which he returned in January 2020, until Nyusi’s inauguration. after his re-election, when he went to Beira, alongside Maputo. In March he paid a four-day official visit.
In addition to the pretext of the cathedral’s reopening and the city’s anniversary, a trip to Cabo Delgado, where Portuguese soldiers support the fight against terrorism, was also considered.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also got to know Mozambique between the ages of 19 and 20, during vacation periods from his studies at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, during the tenure of his father, Baltazar Rebelo de Sousa, as Governor General (1968-1970 ) of the then overseas province, during the colonial war.
Source: El heraldo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
