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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. 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 's presidential aircraft crashed in mountainous terrain in South Africa . After the end of the Mozambican Civil War , which saw the Renamo rebels become a regular political party, he won multi-party elections in 1994 and again in 1999 . In 1999, he defeated the former RENAMO rebel leader, Afonso Dhlakama by 52.3% to 47.7%. Chissano chose not to run for another term in the elections of 2004 ; FRELIMO instead selected Armando Guebuza as its candidate, who defeated Dhlakama by an even bigger margin of votes. Chissano left office at the end of his term in February 2005 . Chissano served as Chairman Of The African Union from July 2003 to July 2004 . EXTERNAL LINKS
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