Frelimo linked ACLLN condemns Mozambican Catholic Church

The Association of Combatants of the National Liberation Struggle (ACLLN), an organization linked to Frelimo, the ruling party in Mozambique, yesterday condemned the archbishop of Beira's stance criticising the invasion of the opposition leader's home."Archbishop Claudio Zuanna lost the opportunity to keep quiet when he tried to blindly defend Renamo [Mozambique National Resistance, the largest opposition party]," said Fernando Faustino, secretary general of ACLLN, quoted by daily Notícias.The police raid on the Renamo leader's house took place on October 9, a day after the arrival of Afonso Dhlakama to Beira, coming from Gorongosa, in Sofala province, where he had reappeared after nearly two weeks in uncertain whereabouts, following an incident between the defence and security forces and his convoy on September 25, in Gondola, Manica province.Special forces of the Mozambican police, Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR) and Special Operative Group (GOE), broke into Dhlakama's home and arrested the guards, later claiming that the intention was to disarm Renamo that has been armed since the signing of the General Peace Agreement in 1992.After the incident, the archbishop of Beira condemned the police operation, saying that "the use of force to disarm the opponent cannot bear the desired fruits." The archbishop also said that, "in addition to bloodshed, this will increase the feeling of exclusion and marginalization."The Secretary-General of ACLLN, an organization led ex-officio by the president of Frelimo (Mozambique Liberation Front) and president of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, invited in turn the archbishop of Beira to simply take care of religious matters rather than playing the “devil’s lawyer,” adding that the weapons seized from the hands of Renamo are the same as those used by Dhlakama's party to threaten the population."When the State acts to recover these instruments ifrom the wrong hands and there are people who, unfortunately, understand that it is a case of using force to disarm the opponent and that this will increase the bloodshed and the feeling of exclusion, they are mistaken," said ACLLN’s Secretary General.

Fernando Faustino also questioned a letter that the Catholic Church sent to the Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi advising him to take the role of the peacemaker. He said that the same measure should also have been taken towards the leader of Renamo."The government will never shirk its responsibilities to keeping order and tranquility," said the Secretary General of ACLLN, adding that the police had a "brilliant performance" during the invasion of the home of the leader of the largest opposition party in Mozambique.The Catholic Church played a mediating role in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended 16 years of civil war in Mozambique and has recently increased its calls for restraint from the parties involved and a return to the negotiating table.The archbishop of Beira himself was in Dhlakama's house on the day of the incident, and was one of the personalities involved in the resolution of the incident.In a month, there have been four serious incidents between Renamo and security forces, three of which directly involving Afonso Dhlakama.Mozambique is experiencing new moments of political uncertainty caused by Renamo’s refusal to accept the results of the general elections on October 15 last year and its proposal to rule in the six provinces where it claims victory, threatening to seize power by force.