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鈥淚f we want to be a nation we should have our own narrative, we should have our own heroes.鈥�

Alan鈥檚 guest on the podcast today is Mia Couto - one of Mozambique鈥檚 most famous authors who鈥檚 won numerous international awards during his decades-long career. But he鈥檚 so much more: a biologist, a critical thinker, the son of immigrants and, as a young man, a member of Frelimo - the independence movement which fought against the Portuguese colonial authorities. As the only 鈥榳hite guy鈥� in the room when he joined, he was told 鈥渨e need poetry in our struggle鈥�.

Now nearly 50 years on, he tells Alan how he鈥檚 become disillusioned with the ruling party 鈥� which has been in control of the country since independence. The country remains one of the poorest in Africa in terms of GDP despite its natural resources.

He also talks about why it's been so difficult for the authorities to retain control in the northern Cabo Delgado province which has suffered a bloody insurgency since 2017 - and argues that Mozambicans need to remember their own narratives and heroes.