Memories at Low Altitude

Book excerpt: A story of war and peace in Mozambique and beyond, Memories at Low Altitude spans four decades of southern African history, from the point of view of one of its main protagonists. Jacinto Veloso participated in the Mozambican liberation struggle and served in Samora Machel's cabinet after independence, when the region was dominated by civil war and the conflict between East and West. He describes the effects of the conflict between FRELIMO and the South African-backed RENAMO, and he takes the reader into the negotiation process that resulted in the Non-Aggression and Good Neighbourliness Accord with South Africa, better known as the Nkomati Accord. He also covers the negotiations that contributed to Namibian independence, the withdrawal of Cuban and South African troops from Angola, as well as peace in Mozambique. General Veloso provides fascinating insights because of his closeness to the history that he describes. This book provides a valuable perspective on southern African political and military history, written from a man who was high up in FRELIMO and in Mozambique's government. It provides insights into South Africa's role in the Mozambican civil war and the role that the East-West conflict played in southern Africa during the Cold War. In addition, it explores the effects of the new Mozambique's strictly socialist economy and its subsequent shift to a more market-orientated approach.