RESIGNATION OF MOMADE IS PRICE OF PEACE, SAYS NHONGO

The leader of the self-styled “Renamo Military Junta”, Mariano Nhongo. on Sunday declared that the current wave of armed attacks in the central Mozambican province of Manica and Sofala will only end when the current president of Renano, Ossufo Momade, resigns.Speaking by telephone to a press conference in Beira, Nhongo said “If the government recognises that Ossufo does not represent Renamo, then there will be no more shooting here”.

With these few words, Nhongo effectively took responsibility for the murderous attacks over the past few weeks on buses and trucks on the roads running through Manica and Sofala.Nhongo said he had sent a document to the Mozambican government, listing the conditions for the demobilisation and disarming of the Renamo fighters loyal to him. These conditions include the removal of Momade from the leadership of Renamo.“The Mozambican government must accept that he (Momade) does not represent Renamo”, he said. Nhongo said he sent the document to the government on 2 October, “and so far we have had no reply”.

There were now government armoured vehicles inside the Renamo bases, he said, and “now we are going to set those armoured cars on fire”.

 

“We are going to do what we know how to do”, Nhongo added. “We are not playing about, and Frelimo should not play with us”.Momade, however, enjoys democratic legitimacy in that he was elected President of Renamo in a contested election held during a party congress in January 2019.

Nhongo promoted himself to the rank of general, and a handful of other Renamo military figures appointed him leader of the party. There is no way of gauging how many of the remaining Renamo fighters are loyal to Momade and how many support Nhongo.

Nhongo also claimed that government forces are kidnapping Renamo guerrillas with the complacency of Momade.“Ossufio and Nyusi are stealing what is ours”, he claimed, “and we won’t agree to go home with empty hands”, presumably referring to the demobilisation package likely to be offered under the peace agreement.