Mozambique’s foreign policy towards South Africa: managing asymmetrical economic diplomacy

Paulo Mateus Wache

01/2022 · SciELO - Editora da UFRGS

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This Book discusses the Mozambique’s foreign policy framework in general, and towards South Africa, in particular, searching to understand why it has been characterized by the hostility-friendship dichotomy. The Book argues that asymmetry alone cannot explain the occurrence of the dichotomy as suggested by Womack’s asymmetry theory. In the case of Mozambique’s foreign policy, the dichotomy is caused by combination of factors namely: power asymmetry, ideological differences, leadership perceptions, economic disagreements and economic ties. However, it is highlighted that power asymmetry is the main factor of the dichotomy. This complexity and amalgamations of causes of the dichotomy makes it a permanent and distinctive feature of Mozambique’s foreign policy towards South Africa.Thus, the major contribution of this book is twofold. First, it presents a detailed and comprehensive analysis of Mozambique’s foreign affairs as they have interacted with South Africa. Second,by applying asymmetry theory to Mozambique the study makes a significant theoretical contribution to understanding the agency of the smaller side in bilateral asymmetric relationships.