Mozambique-Germany, 50 years of cooperation: achievements and outstanding issues

Relations between Mozambique and Germany have solidified over five decades, creating a partnership described as strong and harmonious. In an interview with the newspaper Preto e Branco, Octávio Rainde, musician, social activist and leader of the AfroMIGO organization, based in Wiesbaden, Germany for 16 years, analyzes the paths of cooperation and the tireless fight for justice, stating that “Mozambicans and Germans maintain relations based on respect and goodwill. This year we will celebrate 50 years of formal diplomatic relations, a milestone that underlines the depth and continuity of our partnership. Germany has worked with Mozambique since independence in 1975, and this partnership has already yielded many fruits,” but there is an outstanding debt,” he emphasizes. On the eve of the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mozambique and Germany, the balance between the fruits of the partnership and the historical debts to the "Magermanes," former Mozambican workers in the former GDR, remains at the center of the debate.

Octávio Rainde points to an unavoidable counterpoint concerning the dilemma of former contract workers in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), known as "Magermenes". For Rainde, the celebration cannot overshadow the struggle. "The struggle is not over," he emphasizes. "The motto is not to give up until they receive at least 60% of the amounts they are entitled to. We will never give up until that amount falls into our hands. This is a constant debate in the community." Alongside the historical claim, the diaspora has been promoting Mozambican culture on German soil. The Mozambican community in Germany remains mobilized. According to him, coordination with Mozambique is essential. He says that lobbying the authorities and raising public awareness are permanent strategies. "There is constant communication with the base in Mozambique because the objectives are the same: justice for the Magermenes and strengthening bilateral ties," he concludes. 

As the two countries prepare to celebrate half a century of political, economic, and cultural cooperation, the Mozambican community in Germany remembers that a truly solid partnership is also measured by the ability to resolve past issues. For the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mozambique and Germany, Rainde highlights initiatives such as the Diaspora Marrabenta Festival, based in Germany, and the upcoming Magermane Fest, which aims to bring together memory and art. "These are projects that celebrate our identity and keep our culture alive," he explains.