Joaquim Alberto Chissano (22 October 1939-) was President of Mozambique from 6 November 1986 to 2 February 2005, succeeding Samora Machel and preceding Armando Guebuza. He was a member of the FRELIMO party.
Biography[]
Joaquim Alberto Chissano was born in Malehice, Mozambique on 22 October 1939, and he was one of the first African pupils at a secondary school in Maputo (then Lourenco Marques) before studying medicine in Portugal. He took part in the foundation of FRELIMO in 1962, and he was elected to its central committee in 1963. He was secretary to the president from 1966 to 1969, and he served as chief representative in Tanzania from 1969 to 1974. He became Samora Machel's principal lieutenant, and he was Prime Minister of the Transitional Government of Mozambique from 1974 to 1975 before becoming Foreign Minister. Like Machel, he was a devotee of Marxism-Leninism. However, when he succeeded his friend to the presidency, he was much more pragmatic. His greater political astuteness was displayed, for example, when he made it a priority to visit US President Ronald Reagan in 1987. He introduced some economic liberalization, and he started to negotiate with RENAMO to end the Mozambican Civil War. This was achieved by 1992, when he was re-elected President in a democratic election monitored by 2,500 international observers. He would served until 2005; he served as Chairperson of the African Union from 2003 to 2004.