Former Migrants Invade German Embassy

Former Migrants Invade German Embassy
Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)
NEWS
July 14, 2004
Posted to the web July 14, 2004
Maputo

About 40 Mozambicans who were once migrant workers in the now defunct German Democratic Republic (GDR) on Tuesday occupied the German embassy in Maputo.

The invasion of the embassy marks a completely new stage in the campaign by the former migrants (known colloquially as "majermanes") to force the Mozambican government to pay them vast sums of money which they claim, against all the evidence, was sent to Mozambique from Germany in the 1980s.

In the past, the majermanes attempted to enlist the support of German diplomats for their claims. Now it seems they regard the German authorities as enemies.

Embassy sources told AIM that the majermanes forced their way through the main entrance to the embassy building, and demanded a meeting with the ambassador, Ulf Dieter Klemm. Once the initial group was inside, others clambered over the walls and joined them

Apparently the majermane violence met with the approval of the group's lawyer, Alice Mabota (who is also chairperson of the Mozambican Human Rights League). Speaking to reporters at the embassy Mabota said she saw nothing wrong in what the former migrants were doing, arguing that they had every right to resort to all forms of pressure to ensure "justice".

Despite her profession, Mabota declared "I have nothing to do with legal questions or with the implications this might cause. I am just demanding justice for my people who are suffering from hunger".

Alberto Mahuaie, the coordinator of the Forum of Returnees from the ex-GDR, the body that claims to represent the majermanes, said they had decided to occupy the German embassy, because they regarded this as a means to pressure the German authorities to, in turn, force the Mozambican government "to pay without further delay the rest of the money they owe us because of the contributions discounted from our wages in the GDR". He said they would "never" abandon the embassy until the money they say was discounted from the wages is paid. Mahuaie himself has put a figure of 22 billion (sic) US dollars on the amount owing. Since the total number of Mozambicans who worked in the GDR in the 11 years of the migrant labour agreement was rather less than 22,000, this means the majermanes are demanding over a million dollars each.

Alternatively, and perhaps more probably, Mahuaie's grasp of mathematics is rather tenuous and he does not know the difference between millions and billions. But even 22 million dollars is far too much. The documents published last year by the German authorities show that the social security contributions deducted from the majermanes' wages and sent to Maputo amounted to about 18 million dollars. Despite Mahuaie's support for the occupation, he said it was not an idea that came from the Forum leadership. He said the group that stormed the embassy did so without the knowledge of the Forum.

"Some of our colleagues were tired of waiting and decided to invade the German embassy to try and force the two governments to sit at the same table and reach a conclusion about our demands", Mahuaie said.

The National Director of Public Order in the Interior Ministry, Custodio Zandamela, arrived at the embassy with a large contingent of police.

He told reporters that Klemm had tried to talk with the occupies, but "as usual, they were incoherent and inconsistent". Initially the ambassador was patient towards his uninvited guests. But patience was just rewarded with more demands - now the majermanes wanted, not only the 50 per cent of their social security contributions that was sent to Mozambique, but the 50 per cent that stayed in the German social security system as well.

They also demanded, as a condition for leaving the building, that the police contingent be withdrawn. In an attempt to avoid violence, the police did pull back by about 300 metres.

The majermanes then demanded a written document guaranteeing the withdrawal of the police, as a kind of safe conduct. The ambassador agreed to give them this.

To no avail. The majermanes suddenly returned to square one, and demanded the "immediate payment" of the money they say is owing.

At this point Klemm gave up trying to reason with the majermanes. He and the rest of the embassy staff all left the premises.

An uneasy stand-off followed, with majermanes inside the embassy, and a large police contingent outside. Since the embassy grounds constitute German, not Mozambican, territory, the police say they will only go inside if acts of destruction or violence occur.

The occupation began in mid-morning, and the majermanes decided to spend the night in the embassy. They were still there early on Wednesday morning.