Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Mozambican Parliament approved, in general terms, on Tuesday (16 December), the resolution ratifying the Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between Mozambique and the United Republic of Tanzania, signed on 8 May 2025.
The document was passed with 205 votes in favour from the Frelimo, PODEMOS and MDM benches, while Renamo voted against, casting 19 votes and becoming the only political force to reject the legal instrument.
Presenting the proposal, the Minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs, Mateus Saize, argued that the agreement lays the foundations for more effective judicial cooperation between the two states, with a focus on the social reintegration of prisoners. According to the minister, the mechanism will allow foreign nationals who have been convicted to serve their sentences in their countries of origin, a factor which, in the government’s view, contributes to a more humane and efficient administration of justice.
Saize also stressed that ratifying the agreement will not entail additional burdens on the State Budget, as it does not provide for the creation of new institutions or the generation of recurring public expenditure.
Renamo justified its vote against the agreement on political and regional grounds. Mozambique’s third-largest political party said its position stemmed from a gesture of solidarity with the Tanzanian opposition, which it claims has been subjected to persecution and arrests in the post-election context in the United Republic of Tanzania.
Approval in general terms paves the way for the subsequent stages of the legislative process.
