Maputo, April 13, 2026 (Lusa) - Mozambique's president, Daniel Chapo, said on Monday in Maputo that the “fuel crisis” caused by the Middle East war could hit the country at “any time,” calling for the use of public transport to reduce the consequences.
Speaking as president of (Frelimo Mozambique Liberation Front – governing party) at the opening of the second ordinary session of OJM (Mozambique Youth Organisation – Frelimo's youth wing), the president highlighted the government’s priority in providing public transport vehicles nationwide.
"We provided vehicles for 15 municipalities in the central and northern zones, and will do so in May for the south, to anticipate a fuel crisis that could arrive anytime because of the war between Iran, the US, and Israel. Public transport can minimise the impact," the president said.
Mozambique's authorities said on Thursday they were preparing measures to mitigate potential impacts of fuel price increases, given the unpredictability of international prices due to the war in the Middle East.
"Regarding the issue of [fuel] prices on the international market, there is a lot of unpredictability. It is very difficult to make any forecast given the geopolitical context," Felisbela Cunhete, the director of the National Directorate of Hydrocarbons and Fuels (DNHC), said in Maputo.
She told journalists the country saw some fuel price stability between January and February, but the situation changed this month as import and product prices rose.
"Import prices, including FOB (Free on Board, the price excluding shipping and insurance) and the product itself, rose from April due to the Middle East conflict, as most of our market's supply comes from that region," she added.
Fuel markets reacted quickly, and prices rose significantly following the traffic disruption through the Strait of Hormuz, a transport route for about 20% of oil and a significant part of liquefied natural gas (LNG), she said.
She noted that markets were reacting positively to the recently announced truce between the US and Iran, but the destruction of energy infrastructure in the region must be taken into account.
"Production infrastructure, refineries, and fuel logistics and transport infrastructure suffered damage. Repairing this will take time," she explained.
She said if the situation continued and countries imported products at higher costs, the national market would reflect this, and the government was preparing to mitigate the impact.
"We will eventually have to accept these prices, and the government is aware of this," she said, noting the government was prepared to implement measures to help mitigate the retail price impact because fuel prices have a multiplier effect on the economy.
PVJ/LYT // ADB.
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