The Mozambique Historical Archive (AHM), a unit managed by Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), is starting a new institutional cycle based on the modernisation and digital transformation of its services. The digitisation of its bibliographic collections and the strengthening of electronic records management were defined as priorities by the new Director, Dr Renato Augusto Pereira, during the handover ceremony held on 28 January.
On taking up his duties, succeeding Dr Edmundo Macuácua, Pereira set as structural goals the digital preservation of the documentary heritage, the optimisation of the management of records in their permanent phase and the strengthening of internal technical skills across several areas of Archival Science. The security of the buildings and collections is also part of the agenda for this new stage of governance.
The commitment to digitisation is a direct response to contemporary challenges of conservation and the democratisation of access to information. The process will make it possible not only to safeguard sensitive historical documents, but also to extend their reach among researchers, students and the general public. For the new Director, modernising the AHM means ensuring that the country's collective memory remains preserved and accessible to future generations.
Strengthened international cooperation
On the external front, Pereira pledged to consolidate and expand strategic partnerships with national and international institutions, among them the Luso-American Development Foundation, the National Archives of Hungary, the Torre do Tombo National Archives Institute, the Indian Ocean Iconographic Project and Réunion Island. These collaborations are considered decisive for the exchange of experience, technical training and the mobilisation of resources for preservation and digitisation projects.
In a context marked by the retirement of senior staff with long experience, the Director acknowledged the need to reinvent the institution, balancing renewal with respect for accumulated knowledge. Among the solutions under consideration is calling on the collaboration of retired technicians who are available, ensuring the continuity and transmission of specialised expertise.
Renato Pereira also highlighted the work carried out by his predecessor and the technical team, pointing to achievements such as the transfer of documentation to safer premises, the rental of two buildings, the move from the Northern Warehouse to the AHM Head Office Building, and UNESCO's approval of the documentation on slavery — international recognition of the historical importance of the collection.
Speaking on behalf of the technical staff, employee Astro Gilda welcomed the new Director, reiterating the team's commitment to achieving the goals set for this phase of transformation.
The ceremony was chaired by UEM's Deputy Director for Human Resources, Licenciado Benedito Langane, and witnessed by the Director of UEM's Legal Office, Licenciado João José Pascoal, symbolising the formal start of a new era in the management of the AHM — now with digitisation as the structuring axis of institutional change.
