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Improving Switzerland’s Image: Relations with Independent Mozambique

When Mozambique became independent in June 1975, Swiss–Mozambican relations were tense. Confidently looking forward to a bright future, FRELIMO’s leadership criticised Switzerland’s selective interpretation of neutrality during the independence wars and its cordial relations with the white minority regimes in South Africa and Rhodesia. The new government nationalised Swiss assets in Mozambique and numerous Swiss business people and missionaries left the country, together with many Portuguese and foreign citizens. Four years later, the situation had changed. Natural disasters, the departure of skilled workers, the loss of remittances from Mozambican mine workers in South Africa due to a change in the Rand mines’ recruitment policies, and the ruling party’s moves towards a planned economy drastically reduced Mozambique’s economic output. The security situation had also deteriorated. In retaliation for FRELIMO’s support of Rhodesian nationalist movements, the Rhodesian army started to attack targets in Mozambique. Its secret services were instrumental in the creation of the Mozambican National Resistance (MNR). While this movement did not represent a serious military challenge to the Mozambican government in the late 1970s, its guerrilla activities had a destabilising effect. In the 1980s, it became known under the name Resistência Nacional Moçambicana (Mozambican National Resistance, RENAMO) and its equipment and training were taken over by South Africa.1 Yet, by early 1979, political relations between Switzerland and FRELIMO were cordial and the two governments even planned for a courtesy visit by the Mozambican president to Bern. In October 1979, the two governments signed a bilateral trade and economic cooperation agreement. In the midto late 1970s, Mozambique was the only one of the four radical states in sub-Saharan Africa whose government developed a close bilateral relationship with Switzerland. This was mainly a result of the Swiss government’s efforts to improve its image in the former Portuguese colonies and, at the same time, strengthen links with a newly decolonised Third World state. In Bern, Mozambique mattered for several reasons. First, there were Swiss