A year ago Abiy ignored the advice of the AU's delegation of three former presidents – Mozambique's Joaquim Chissano South Africa's Kgalema Motlanthe and Liberia's Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf – to negotiate with Tigray's leaders...

Another who was a candidate in the 2014 internal selection process is former Prime Minister Luisa Diogo who is respected and has previously enjoyed support from the faction around ex-President Joaquim Chissano...

His unflinching stance was underlined when he met an African Union delegation led by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Joaquim Chissano and Kgalema Motlanthe...

Mnangagwa had met Mozambique's ex-President Joaquim Chissano in October 2015 when he was Vice-President to Mugabe...

Nyusi may also be considering returning to the Joaquim Chissano-era strategy of having weaker armed forces thus lowering the risk of political threats from any Renamo officials absorbed into the armed forces or Frelimo military factions according to the Mozambique scholar Joseph Hanlon...

All three were high-ranking officials under former President Joaquim Chissano (Salomão and Ali serving as ministers) and are not in the Guebuza camp...

President Filipe Nyusi's sons follow the example of the children of his predecessors Joaquim Chissano and Armando Guebuza driving around in luxury cars and attempting to get into business by using their family name...

Guebuza and his predecessor Joaquim Chissano are now said to be more aligned politically and with the old guard now apparently in agreement over the decision to confront Renamo Nyusi can do little to oppose them...

He wants key decisions to be taken by his government although he will still seek advice from trusted party elders such as former President Joaquim Chissano...