Afonso Dhlakama, leader of Mozambique’s main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, has threatened that Renamo will set up barracks throughout the country to regroup its former guerrillas.Speaking at a Sunday press conference in the northern city of Nampula, where he has been living for more than two years, Dhlakama said that barracks would first be established in the centre of the country this week. He did not indicate which provinces or districts will be covered. Later in the year, barracks would also be set up in northern and southern Mozambique.These latest claims appear to contradict Dhlakama’s statements in July that former Renamo guerrillas would be concentrated in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.Most of the Renamo fighters were demobilized, under United Nations supervision, in 1994, immediately prior to the country’s first multi-party parliamentary and presidential elections. According to the final figures issued by the UN Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ), 20,537 Renamo guerrillas were demobilized and returned to civilian lifeA further 3,662 volunteered to become part of the new national army, the FADM. But Renamo never fully demobilized. In violation of the 1992 peace agreement signed with the government, Renamo kept back a small force, which it described as its “Presidential Guard”. This force is based in the central districts of Maringue and Cheringoma – no figures are available, but it cannot number more than a couple of hundred fighters.There is no sign that any significant number of the Renamo demobilized are willing to abandon their families, take up arms and fight in another war. Since it is 17 years since they were demobilized, many of them will simply be too old for a further stint of fighting in the bush. Building barracks across the country – even if they are no more than tents and mud huts – requires money and logistics, neither of which Renamo currently possesses.Dhlakama also repeated his boast that Renamo is preparing a “revolution” that will lead to the fall of the ruling Frelimo Party by Xmas. He then envisaged a “transitional government” lasting for three years.
This follows claims made in July that, if he so chose, Dhlakama could drive Frelimo from power “in 24 hours”. Yet when he really did have an army, enjoying the support of Ian Smith’s Rhodesia and then of apartheid South Africa, Dhlakama was unable to overthrow Frelimo in a war that lasted for 16 years.Dhlakama threatened that, if Frelimo resists his “revolution”, there will be bloodshed in Mozambique, or the current government leaders will flee into neighbouring countries. The only alternative to this “revolution”, he warned, would be for President Armando Guebuza to negotiate directly with him.Dhlakama also promised that Renamo will not take part in the forthcoming mayoral by-elections in the cities of Pemba, Quelimane and Cuamba. The three mayors, all elected on the Frelimo ticket in the 2008 municipal elections, have resigned, and elections to replace them must be held this year.The three mayors allege “personal reasons” for their resignation, but Dhlakama eagerly retailed the alternative explanation – namely that Frelimo, unhappy at their performance, ordered them to resign.Dhlakama claimed that they were forced out because they refused to engage in acts of corruption. The three mayors did not confirm that they were obliged to step down “because they fear reprisals”, he alleged.Regardless of the motives for the resignations, they have opened a space for political campaigning in the three cities – yet Dhlakama is refusing to take any advantage of this, and has promised a Renamo boycott. No member of Renamo would take part in the elections, he promised.This means that the elections will essentially be a race between Frelimo and the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM). MDM leader Daviz Simango has made it clear that his party intends to seize the opportunity to put forward candidates.The MDM Political Commission met on Saturday to discuss its strategy for the mayoral by-elections. Simango stressed the importance of the party having all its documentation in order, so that there would no problems in registering for the elections.The National Elections Commission (CNE) claimed inadequate documentation as the reason for disqualifying MDM candidates in nine of the 13 constituencies in the 2009 parliamentary elections.According to the independent daily “O Pais”, the Saturday meeting instructed MDM provincial and district delegates to start selecting candidates for the three by-elections.Simango denied that any candidate has yet been chosen. “The resignations are recent”, he said. “We need to give time for the party’s grass roots structures to work, so that they can choose trustworthy candidates”.
This follows claims made in July that, if he so chose, Dhlakama could drive Frelimo from power “in 24 hours”. Yet when he really did have an army, enjoying the support of Ian Smith’s Rhodesia and then of apartheid South Africa, Dhlakama was unable to overthrow Frelimo in a war that lasted for 16 years.Dhlakama threatened that, if Frelimo resists his “revolution”, there will be bloodshed in Mozambique, or the current government leaders will flee into neighbouring countries. The only alternative to this “revolution”, he warned, would be for President Armando Guebuza to negotiate directly with him.Dhlakama also promised that Renamo will not take part in the forthcoming mayoral by-elections in the cities of Pemba, Quelimane and Cuamba. The three mayors, all elected on the Frelimo ticket in the 2008 municipal elections, have resigned, and elections to replace them must be held this year.The three mayors allege “personal reasons” for their resignation, but Dhlakama eagerly retailed the alternative explanation – namely that Frelimo, unhappy at their performance, ordered them to resign.Dhlakama claimed that they were forced out because they refused to engage in acts of corruption. The three mayors did not confirm that they were obliged to step down “because they fear reprisals”, he alleged.Regardless of the motives for the resignations, they have opened a space for political campaigning in the three cities – yet Dhlakama is refusing to take any advantage of this, and has promised a Renamo boycott. No member of Renamo would take part in the elections, he promised.This means that the elections will essentially be a race between Frelimo and the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM). MDM leader Daviz Simango has made it clear that his party intends to seize the opportunity to put forward candidates.The MDM Political Commission met on Saturday to discuss its strategy for the mayoral by-elections. Simango stressed the importance of the party having all its documentation in order, so that there would no problems in registering for the elections.The National Elections Commission (CNE) claimed inadequate documentation as the reason for disqualifying MDM candidates in nine of the 13 constituencies in the 2009 parliamentary elections.According to the independent daily “O Pais”, the Saturday meeting instructed MDM provincial and district delegates to start selecting candidates for the three by-elections.Simango denied that any candidate has yet been chosen. “The resignations are recent”, he said. “We need to give time for the party’s grass roots structures to work, so that they can choose trustworthy candidates”.
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