Photo: Aly Ramji / Mediapix

File Photo: H. E. Armando Emilio Guebuza President of Mozambique

Maputo — Mozambican President Armando Guebuza, in his capacity as President of the ruling Frelimo Party, on Saturday inaugurated in the city of Pemba, capital of the northern province of Cabo Delgado, the installations where the Frelimo 10th Congress will take place from Sunday through to next Friday.

Baptised simply the "10th Congress Complex", the buildings include a conference hall covering 5,400 square metres, with seating for over 3,000 people, dormitories, a canteen, a VIP lounge, and various leisures spaces. The complex covers an area of seven hectares, with a spectacular view over the Bay of Pemba, about 15 kilometres from the centre of the city

Speaking to reporters immediately after inaugurating the complex, Guebuza said the buildings "have good working conditions", and he was sure they would be in great demand for other events after the Congress.

"From the conditions that have been established here, we see that the Congress participants will be able to enjoy a certain comfort", said Guebuza. "This will allow them to make the contributions we expect from them to enrich our glorious party".

Cabo Delgado has a prominent place in Mozambican history, since this was one of the provinces where Frelimo launched the armed struggle for the country's independence on 25 September 1964, almost exactly two years after Frelimo's first congress, held in Dar es Salaam from 23-28 September 1962.

Guebua said the 10th Congress provides an opportunity to revisit and exalt the country's history, to the benefit of all Mozambicans "in terms of its values of unity and well-being for all the people. Cabo Delgado was an important zone for the end of colonialism, when Mozambicans decided that they weere going to solve their own problems after the Mueda massacre (on 16 June 1960, in the Cabo Delgado district of Mueda".

There are about 5,000 people in Pemba for the Congress - including 1,955 elected delegates, 1,801 guests, some 30 foreign delegations, and a large number of journalists, and security, protocol and support staff.