Pres. Joaquim Alberto Chissano

Joaquim Alberto Chissano (born October 22 1939) was the second president of Mozambique. He was president from November 6 1986 until February 2 2005.

Chissano was born in Chibuto village, Gaza province, Mozambique. He was involved in the Frelimo movement in the 1960s, representing the group in Paris and fighting in the guerrilla war against Portugal. In 1975, when the country achieved independence, he gained the rank of major general and was appointed foreign minister of Mozambique, a position in which he served until 1987. He was known as a soft-spoken diplomat who helped reconcile radical and moderate Marxists in the Frelimo party. He became president of the country in 1986, when Samora Machel died in a plane crash. He won multi-party elections in 1994 and 1999. In 1999 he defeated his opponent, Afonso Dhlakama 52.3%-47.7%. Due to a mass of scams and several cases of corruption, Chissano's government was the target of wide criticism. Chissano chose not to run for another term in the elections of 2004; FRELIMO instead selected Armando Guebuza as its candidate, and Chissano left office at the end of his term. Chissano was the chairman of the African Union from July 2003 until July 2004.