Portuguese-Zimbabwean Relations

Portuguese-Zimbabwean Relations

Portugal Zimbabwe
Portugal	Zimbabwe

The Portuguese-Zimbabwean relations describe the intergovernmental relations between Zimbabwe ( port. : Zimbabue ) and Portugal . The countries have had direct diplomatic relations since 1980.

Historically, there have been numerous points of contact since the arrival of the Portuguese sailors in southern Africa from the 15th century, later through the neighborhood of today's Zimbabwe to the Portuguese colony of Mozambique . The commitment of Portuguese aid organizations in Zimbabwe since the cholera epidemic in 2008 and the domestic political crisis from 2009 should also be mentioned, for example the projects of the Assistência Médica Internacional from 2009.

In 2018, there were 64 Zimbabwean citizens registered in Portugal, most of them in the Lisbon district (33) and the Algarve (13). No Portuguese citizens were registered in Zimbabwe in 2017.

history

Until 1980

The Mapa cor der rosa card : the successful British ultimatum in 1890 against the Portuguese plans for a union between Angola and Mozambique prevented Portuguese claims to present-day Zimbabwe as well

In the 15th century, Shona rulers controlled large parts of present-day Zimbabwe and maintained trade connections with the Islamic Swahili societies on the east coast of Africa. After the arrival of the Portuguese seafarers in the 15th century, Islamic and Portuguese traders competed for influence in the royal courts in what is now Zimbabwe. After the Portuguese brought the east coast of what is now Mozambique under their permanent control, the Shona's trade ties with the Swahili sphere largely broke off. As a result, the decline of the Shona rule began from the 16th century until they were finally replaced by the Ndebele as rulers of Zimbabwe in 1835 . In 1837 the Matabele Kingdom emerged in what is now Zimbabwe.

Since Portugal formally ruled the landlocked land between Angola and Mozambique, but was practically unable to exercise this rule , British traders, hunters, researchers and missionaries, including David Livingstone , increasingly penetrated Zimbabwe in the increasing “ race for Africa ” in the 1880s .

In 1887, the Portuguese Foreign Minister Henrique Barros Gomes presented a map of “Portuguese South Africa” to the public, on which Angola and Mozambique were linked. The area in question was colored pink there, and the map went down in history as Mapa cor der rosa (English: pink map). Accordingly, today's Zimbabwe belonged almost entirely to the Portuguese claim area. This was in contradiction to the British claimed territory in Africa, which the British colonial politician Cecil Rhodes summarized with his slogan "from Cape to Cairo ". This was followed by the British ultimatum to Portugal of 1890, which revealed the weakness of the Portuguese government and strengthened the republican forces, which finally prevailed in October 1910 with the proclamation of the Portuguese Republic .

Cecil Rhodes acquired mining rights from Matabele King Lobengula in 1888 , and increasing British influence eventually led to the subjugation of the Matabele Empire in 1893. Against Portuguese protests, Great Britain had declared what would later become southern Rhodesia and today's Zimbabwe to be its protectorate as early as 1891 .

One of Beira's bathing beaches in the 1930s: Rhodesian tourists came to Beira in large numbers until Mozambican independence in 1975

Self-governing colony from 1923, Rhodesia declared itself unilaterally independent of Great Britain in 1965. This independence was not recognized internationally, not even by the colonial Estado Novo regime of Portugal, Great Britain's oldest ally.

White Rhodesia and the neighboring Portuguese overseas province of Mozambique nonetheless maintained good relations. So white Rhodesian tourists came in large numbers to the seaside resorts of Mozambique, especially to Beira .

Both countries also maintained political contacts, in particular the informal cooperation in the fight against the Mozambican independence movement FRELIMO , especially after the outbreak of the Portuguese colonial war in Mozambique in 1964.

Portuguese troop transport 1968 in Mocímboa da Praia : Rhodesia supported Portugal in the colonial war in Mozambique (1964 to 1975)

At the same time, Rhodesia itself had been in a civil war since 1972. Zimbabwean independence movements such as ZANU , ZAPU and others were unable to retreat to Mozambique, Portugal. Only after Mozambique gained independence in 1975 they received support and a refuge there, in particular the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA) of the later President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe .

After the independence of the Portuguese colony Mozambique in 1975, the resistance organization RENAMO was founded with the help of Rhodesian . It sparked the Mozambican Civil War in 1977 and waged a bloody guerrilla war there for decades . Former soldiers of the Portuguese armed forces from the colonial war in Mozambique were also active for RENAMO.

In 1976 the Rhodesia Conference had already taken place, with which an end to the Rhodesian civil war and a transition to a black-ruled Zimbabwe should be possible. After the establishment of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia in 1979 and the Lancaster House Agreement at the end of 1979, the ZANU under Robert Mugabe prevailed in the first general and free elections in Rhodesia in 1980, and Zimbabwe became officially independent on April 18, 1980.

Since 1980

Portugal, which has been democratic since the left-wing Carnation Revolution in 1974, and Zimbabwe, which under President Mugabe was regarded as the bearer of African hope, were friendly.

On April 18, 1980, the first day of Zimbabwean independence, the two countries established diplomatic relations. On 16 July 1981 accredited to Luis Augusto Martins first Portuguese Ambassador to Zimbabwe. On September 10, 1982, the two countries signed a bilateral trade agreement in the Zimbabwean capital Harare.

With Portugal's increasing orientation towards the EU (accession in 1986) and the development of Zimbabwe that fell short of expectations, bilateral relations intensified only slightly afterwards.

On May 5, 1994, they signed an aviation agreement.

In the cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe in 2008, Portuguese aid organizations, some of which continued to work there after the domestic political crisis from 2009 and the subsequent economic crisis, in particular the AMI, also helped .

diplomacy

Portugal maintains an embassy in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare . Portugal also has no consulates in Zimbabwe.

See also : List of Portuguese Ambassadors in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe does not have its own embassy in Portugal; its representation in Paris is responsible for Portugal. There are also no Zimbabwean consulates in Portugal.

economy

The Claremont Estates fruit plantations in eastern Zimbabwe near Nyanga : Citrus fruits and other fruit are Zimbabwe's main export goods to Portugal, from where mainly parts for the energy supply come to Zimbabwe

The trade volume between Portugal and Zimbabwe in 2016 amounted to EUR 5.776 million, with a trade surplus of EUR 2.380 million in favor of Zimbabwe. 19 Portuguese companies were trading with Zimbabwe in 2016.

In 2016, Portugal exported goods worth 1.698 million euros to Zimbabwe ( 2015 : 0.296 million; 2014 : 4.472 million; 2013 : 2.036 million; 2012 : 1.616 million), 58.6% of which were machines and equipment, 31.3% vehicles and vehicle parts, 6.5% metal goods and 2% chemical-pharmaceutical products.

In the same period, Zimbabwe delivered goods worth 4.078 million euros to Portugal ( 2015 : 3.199 million; 2014 : 33.961 million; 2013 : 19.044 million; 2012 : 46.601 million), of which 60.6% were agricultural products (pre especially fruit), 33.0% textiles and 6.4% minerals and ores.

In 2016, Zimbabwe was 180th as a buyer and 130th as a supplier for Portuguese foreign trade, while in Zimbabwean foreign trade Portugal was 97th as a buyer and 80th as a supplier in 2015.

The Portuguese Chamber of Commerce AICEP has a contact office at the Portuguese Embassy in Harare.

Culture

The Portuguese cultural institute Instituto Camões is based in Zimbabwe a. a. with a language center in Harare and a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe .

Sports

Cara Black 2014 at Wimbledon: that year she won the Portugal Open in doubles

Zimbabwean tennis player Cara Black has won doubles in Portugal several times. In 2014 she won the most important Portuguese tournament for women, the Portugal Open , after she had already won the WTA Porto in doubles in 2002.

The first edition of the ATP Challenger Madeira was won in 1991 by Byron Black from Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwean runner Tendai Chimusasa won the Lisbon Half Marathon in 1992 .

The Zimbabwean national soccer team and the Portuguese selection have not yet played against each other. The Portuguese women's national team and the Zimbabwean women's national team have not met either (as of July 2019).

Web links

Commons : Portuguese-Zimbabwean Relations  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Overview of the diplomatic relations between Portugal and Zimbabwe at the Diplomatic Institute of the Portuguese Foreign Ministry

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Overview of diplomatic relations with Zimbabwe at the Diplomatic Institute in the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs , accessed on September 1, 2019
2. ↑ Overview of past activities , AMI website, accessed September 5, 2019
3. ↑ Official Portuguese Aliens Statistics by District , Portuguese Aliens and Borders Authority SEF, accessed on September 1, 2019
4. ↑ Website on Zimbabwean-Portuguese migration at the Portuguese Scientific Observatório da Emigração , accessed on September 1, 2019
5. ↑ AH de Oliveira Marques : History of Portugal and the Portuguese Empire , Alfred Kröner Verlag 2001, p. 484 ff.
6. ↑ ^{a b c d} Bilateral economic relations between Portugal and Zimbabwe , Excel file retrieved from the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce AICEP, accessed on September 6, 2019
7. ↑ Overview of activities in Zimbabwe , Instituto Camões website , accessed on September 1, 2019