The Combatants’ Monument

The Combatants’ Monument is located in the city of Maputo, in the square of the same name, on Avenida Julius Nyerere, in the area known as Xiquelene. It was inaugurated by the President of the Republic, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, on 25 September 2019, on the occasion of the celebration of Mozambique Armed Defence Forces Day and the 55th anniversary of the start of the National Liberation Struggle. With the construction of the monument, the square gained a new image and relevance, becoming an important piece of infrastructure for the country’s historical and cultural tourism.

The Combatants’ Monument is a memorial to honour and immortalise all those who gave their lives for the country’s liberation from the colonial yoke


It is a memorial to honour and immortalise all those who gave their lives for the country’s liberation from the Portuguese colonial yoke. It consists of two non-contiguous elements, an imposing metal tower with engravings on the outside and a mural on which are engraved the names of the guerrillas who died during the national liberation struggle, between 1964 and 1974. So far a total of 3,256 have been counted, of whom 2,825 are men and 431 are women. Behind the mural there is also an interpretation centre that hosts a permanent exhibition on the history of the national liberation struggle. Using systematised and compiled data, the centre aims to help people understand and value the forerunners of the building of Mozambican identity.

Funded through a partnership between the Ministry of National Defence and the Maputo Municipal Council, the works were budgeted at around 55 million meticais. Their conception took two years. They were designed by the Faculty of Architecture of Eduardo Mondlane University, with the participation, among others, of the architects Júlio Carrilho, former Minister of Public Works and Housing, and Luís Lage, then director of that Faculty. As for its maintenance, this is carried out in part by the municipality of Maputo, in partnership with the Ministry of Combatants.