Filipe Nyusi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Filipe Nyusi
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Nyusi in 2023
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| 4th President of Mozambique | |
| In office 15 January 2015 – 15 January 2025 |
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| Prime Minister | Alberto Vaquina Carlos Agostinho do Rosário Adriano Maleiane |
| Preceded by | Armando Guebuza |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Chapo |
| Chairman of Southern African Development Community | |
| In office 17 August 2020 – 17 August 2022 |
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| Preceded by | John Magufuli |
| Succeeded by | Félix Tshisekedi |
| Minister of National Defence | |
| In office 27 March 2008 – 14 March 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Tobias Joaquim Dai |
| Succeeded by | Agostinho Mondlane |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 February 1959 Mueda, Portuguese Mozambique (now Mozambique) |
| Political party | FRELIMO |
| Spouse | Isaura Nyusi |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater |
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| Profession | Mechanical engineer |
Filipe Jacinto Nyusi (born 9 February 1959) is a Mozambican politician. He served as the fourth president of Mozambique from 2015 to 2025. He was also the Chairman of the Southern African Development Community from 2020 to 2022. During his time as president, Nyusi worked on agreements with the main opposition party, RENAMO.
Before becoming president, Nyusi was the Minister of Defense from 2008 to 2014. He won the presidential elections in 2014 and 2019 as the candidate for the FRELIMO party. The 2019 election had some issues, with reports of problems like fraud and intimidation. However, the Constitutional Council confirmed the results.
During his presidency, from 2015 to 2018, the number of people living in poverty in Mozambique increased. Also, there were reports of violence against political figures, journalists, and academics.
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Early Life and Education
Filipe Nyusi was born in Namau, Mueda District, in the Cabo Delgado Province. He belongs to the Makonde ethnic group. His parents were involved in the FRELIMO liberation movement. When the Mozambican War of Independence began, he moved to Tanzania. There, he attended the FRELIMO Primary School in Tunduru.
He continued his secondary education at the FRELIMO school in Mariri and the Samora Machel Secondary School in Beira. In 1973, at age 14, he joined FRELIMO. He received political and military training in Nachingwea, Tanzania. In 1990, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He studied at the Antonín Zápotocký Military Academy in Brno, Czechoslovakia (now the University of Defense in the Czech Republic).
Before becoming a government minister, Nyusi worked for the state-owned Mozambique Ports and Railways Authority (CFM). He became the executive director of CFM-Norte, the northern part of the company, in 1995. He joined the company's board of directors in 2007.
From 1993 to 2002, Nyusi was the President of Clube Ferroviário de Nampula. This is a top-division football club in Nampula. He also teaches at the Nampula campus of the Universidade Pedagógica. He is a member of the National Committee of Fighters of the National Liberation Struggle. He also received training in management in India, South Africa, Eswatini, and the United States.
Political Career
Minister of Defence
Nyusi became the Minister of Defence on 27 March 2008. He took over from Tobias Joaquim Dai. His appointment happened about a year after a fire at an armory in Maputo. This fire caused explosions that killed over 100 people and destroyed many homes. An investigation found that carelessness played a role in the disaster.
In September 2012, Nyusi was chosen to be part of the Central Committee of FRELIMO. This is the ruling political party in Mozambique.
2014 Presidential Election
On 1 March 2014, the FRELIMO Central Committee chose Nyusi as their candidate for the 2014 presidential election. In the first round of voting, he received 44% of the votes. This was more than the second-place candidate, Luisa Diogo. However, it was not enough to win right away. He then won against Diogo in the second round with 68% of the votes.
Nyusi was not as well-known as some other candidates. But he was seen as close to the outgoing President Guebuza. Many believed that choosing Nyusi would allow Guebuza to keep some power after leaving office.
2019 Presidential Election
Nyusi and his FRELIMO party won the 2019 election by a large margin. However, opposition parties called the election a "mega fraud." There were reports of violence and intimidation against opposition leaders and election observers. Groups like the European Union Election Observation Mission reported many problems. These included intimidation, violence, and fraud during the election.
State resources and media were widely used to support FRELIMO. Nyusi was re-elected with 73% of the votes. The main opposition party, RENAMO, and other parties challenged the results. They claimed there were many problems, including "ghost voters."
Presidency (2015–2025)
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Filipe Nyusi became the fourth president of Mozambique on 15 January 2015. He was sworn in for his second term on 15 January 2020. His presidency ended on 15 January 2025.
During his time in office, Mozambique saw an increase in poverty. Many young people did not have jobs. Since 2015, there have been reports of killings of important opposition leaders, academics, and journalists. There were also attempts on the life of Afonso Dhlakama, a leader of RENAMO. This led to renewed conflict in some parts of the country. A new conflict also began in the northern region in 2017.
Working for Peace with Renamo
Since armed conflict started again in 2013, Mozambique has tried many times to achieve peace. While earlier efforts didn't fully solve the problems, they helped move the peace process forward. In December 2016, President Nyusi started new talks with Renamo's leader, Afonso Dhlakama. This was a peace process led by Mozambique itself.
As part of these talks, President Nyusi traveled to Gorongosa to meet Dhlakama. This was the first time a sitting president visited Renamo's main area. President Nyusi's efforts led to the signing of the Maputo Accord for Peace and National Reconciliation in August 2019. Many international leaders witnessed this event.
Since the Accord was signed, both sides have worked to follow the agreements. This has led to more local power for regions and a process to disarm and help former fighters return to normal life. So far, many former fighters have rejoined society and are happy with the process.
Concerns about Loans
Nyusi has faced accusations related to a scandal involving "hidden debts" or illegal loans. These loans caused an economic crisis in Mozambique. Between 2013 and 2014, three state-owned companies borrowed a lot of money from banks. This money was supposedly for fishing and maritime security projects. In 2016, it was revealed that a total of $2.2 billion in secret loans existed. This led to a collapse in Mozambique's currency and problems with its debt.
Court documents in New York and London claimed that Nyusi received money in connection with these loans. At the time, he was the Minister of Defense. The former president, Armando Guebuza, suggested that Nyusi should be questioned about these loans.
Personal Life
Filipe Nyusi is a member of the Makonde ethnic group. He is married to Isaura Nyusi. They have four children: Jacinto, Florindo, Claudia, and Angelino.
On 3 January 2022, it was announced that Nyusi and his wife had tested positive for COVID-19 and were isolating.
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See also
In Spanish: Filipe Nyusi para niños
