Maputo, 9 Dec (AIM) – The United States government has denied accusations that it is funding people in order to participate in the mass demonstrations that have been taking place in Mozambique since 21 October.
The demonstrations are called by fugitive presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane in order to protest against the allegedly fraudulent results of the elections held on 9 October, which gave victory to the ruling Frelimo party and its candidate, Daniel Chapo.
The US government does hand out cash to families, but insists that this has nothing to do with Mondlane’s demonstrations.
According to a statement, the US government claims that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and GiveDirectly are implementing a direct cash assistance project aimed at reducing poverty in disaster-prone rural farming communities.
“The communities involved have been selected on the basis of need, in coordination with local authorities, civil society and the private sector. The project has no party or political affiliation. We strongly refute recent allegations on social media that falsely associate this project with partisan activities”, reads the note.
GiveDirectly, the document says, is an international non-governmental organisation and is a long-standing partner.
“The organization addresses poverty in countries around the world by providing unconditional cash assistance to families in need. In 2021, USAID and GiveDirectly began co-financing programmes in Mozambique for cash assistance to communities in Sofala province that were devastated by the effects of Cyclone Idai”, the note says.
In 2024, the note says, the project expanded to Mogovolas district, in central province of Zambézia, with the aim of providing capital to farming families to invest in improving agricultural production.
“This programme has demonstrated its ability to transform the lives of economically vulnerable Mozambican families, enabling them to prioritize investments for their own future”, reads the note.
(AIM)
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