It is easy to forget that just twelve years ago, Mozambique was devastated by a civil war that claimed an estimated one million lives. Much has changed in a decade. From being one of the poorest countries on earth, it has joined a rare group of success stories. A few months ago at Chatham House, UK Development Secretary of State Hilary Benn repeatedly referred to Mozambique as an African success. It has a booming economy which has achieved an average annual real gross domestic product growth of 9 percent for the past twelve years. Substantial progress has been made in social sector investment and in reducing poverty. Mozambique holds its third democratic election this month, heralding new leadership – a good moment to assess whether the success is sustainable.
Mozambique: Orderly Change
An African country that has put civil war behind it and produced strong economic growth deserves more than passing praise. The more so because its president is about to step down in the second orderly power transition since independence. His successor will still need all his business skills to sustain progress.
