Dhlakama criticises but “understands” slow progress

The president of Renamo complained yesterday of slowness in the work of the two negotiating commissions formed with the government and in the withdrawal of the armed forces from the centre of the country, but said he understood the situation.Talking about the peace process in a telephone statement to journalists and Renamo supporters, Dhlakama said: “I have been talking to Brother Nyusi: there is slowness, it is not what I expected.”Dhlakama was speaking from his base in the central Gorongosa mountain range to Renamo supporters and members at a party meeting in Matola outside Maputo.

Answering a question from Lusa, the Renamo leader said he had hoped to see “the work of the two commissions already finished and entering the Assembly of the Republic before 11 May,” the last day of the legislative session, but “it did not happen”.

One commission is negotiating a review of state decentralisation laws, with Renamo calling for the election rather than appointment of provincial governors as early as 2019.Military matters such as the reintegration of Renamo armed men into Mozambican troops and the separation between political parties and the armed forces are being discussed in another commission.No proposal has yet come to parliament and although he considers the pace slow, Dhlakama also says he understands the reasons.“Renamo is demanding democratization, to change the law, and naturally there is resistance,” he said.

Dhlakama pointed out, however, that even foreign investors have realized “that the end of war is not enough, institutions must be reformed”, and insists that the two commissions must produce bills by the end of the year.The indefinite truce declared by Renamo earlier this month depends on the understanding reached and for a peace agreement to be signed, he reaffirmed. In his statement yesterday, Dhlakama also reaffirmed his party’s argument that there is no point in having government-appointed governors in provinces where Renamo often wins elections, meaning most of the northern and central regions of the country.The Renamo leader also noted that Mozambican troops are still occupying positions in the Serra da Gorongosa, the main theatre of conflict between Renamo and the military, which he described as the “armed wing of Frelimo”.Dhlakama would like to see the withdrawal proceed more quickly but he claimed to “understand” the logistical issues involved and stressed that there is still time before the agreed 30 June deadline for full withdrawal.In the frame are 26 positions occupied by the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces, he said.