U.S. Voices Concern at 'Setback' in Mozambique

The United States on Wednesday voiced concern at the political unrest in Mozambique, urging all sides to work together to overcome their differences.

The former Renamo rebels declared Tuesday that a 1992 peace deal is over, although they later reaffirmed that they do not want a return to war.

"We're very concerned about that announcement," U.S. Assistant Secretary for Africa Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in a conference call with reporters.

"Mozambique is a country that has been moving forward in a very positive way and we hope that that continues."

She added that the announcement by the rebels was "a setback, but I believe it's only a temporary setback and hopefully we can move forward from here."

Two days of tit-for-tat violence since Renamo's announcement have raised fears the country could plunge back into civil war, two decades after the end of one of Africa's bloodiest conflicts in which around a million people were killed.

Peace in the country had benefited everyone in the country, Thomas-Greenfield said, and the United States wanted to "encourage" the rebels, who have members within the legislature, "to work towards peaceful solutions to their concerns with the government."

"There is a way of doing that and we're encouraging the government also to be prepared to work with Renamo," she added.