FRELIMO

FRELIMO (Frente de Libertação de Moçambique) is a Mozambican political party and liberation movement that played a central role in the country’s struggle for independence from Portuguese rule. It was founded in 1962 in Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika (now Tanzania) by Eduardo Mondlane and fellow activists to coordinate guerrilla warfare and political mobilization against colonial authority.

The organization waged a guerrilla war against Portugal, gaining broad international support. Mondlane was killed in 1969, and Samora Machel became its leader; under Machel, FRELIMO led the country to independence on 25 June 1975. Following independence, FRELIMO established a one-party state with a socialist orientation.

The post-independence period was marked by the Mozambican Civil War between FRELIMO and RENAMO, from 1977 to 1992, aided by external actors. The 1992 Rome General Peace Accords ended the conflict, and the 1994 multiparty elections allowed for a transition to multi-party democracy, though FRELIMO remained the dominant political force.

Subsequent presidents from FRELIMO include Joaquim Chissano (1986–2005), Armando Guebuza (2005–2015), and Filipe Nyusi (since 2015). The party has gradually shifted from its original Marxist-Leninist framework toward a more market-oriented, reformist platform while retaining broad social-democratic elements. It remains Mozambique’s largest party and has significant influence over national policy, with close regional and international ties.