RENAMO threatens to block roads

Speaking at a press conference in the central city of Beira, the Renamo head of mobilization in Sofala province, Horacio Calavete, said Renamo would set up armed road blocks on the main north-south highway between the Save river and the Inchope crossroads in Manica province. There would also be “control points” on the roads from Inchope to Caia, and the bridge over the Zambezi river, and from Inchope to the western city of Tete.

This threat to use the Renamo militia to interfere with traffic on major roads is similar to the threat made by the head of the Renamo information department, Jeronimo Malagueta, in June 2013. That was the prelude to a low-level Renamo insurgency, mostly in Sofala, which included lethal ambushes against vehicles travelling on the north-south road.

Calavete’s threats amount to tearing up the agreement of 5 September 2014 on a cessation of military hostilities, signed by Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama and by the then President, Armando Guebuza.

Calavete said the decision to set up road blocks was taken by Dhlakama himself, who is currently living in a hideout in the Satunjira region of the Sofala district of Gorongosa. He said the decision had been taken in protest against the alleged murder and kidnapping of Renamo members and officials “every day”.

Dhlakama had met in his camp on Saturday with Renamo “generals” and other military personnel, who supposedly advised Dhlakama “to take measures”.

“Due to terrorism against our members, many of our cadres are not undertaking political activities”, Calavete said. “Plain clothes policemen and soldiers are torturing and murdering our members. Hence the measure of controlling vehicles is irreversible”.

Calavete said that only “suspect” vehicles would be stopped – and by “suspect” he seemed to mean any vehicles believed to be carrying members of the defence and security forces. Past experience, however, suggests that Renamo will simply try to shut down the roads.

Renamo claims that six of its members have disappeared in Sofala.  The bodies of two of them were later discovered.

However, there have also been a string of abductions and killings of local state officials and members of the ruling Frelimo Party in Sofala, carried out by members of the Renamo militia. Asked about these killings, Calavete said he had no information.

Meanwhile, the police have made little headway in investigating the attempted assassination of Renamo General Secretary Manuel Bissopo in Beira on 20 January. On Monday the Sofala provincial police command claimed that the other survivors of the attack are not cooperating in the investigation.

In addition to Bissopo himself, who was driving the car, and his bodyguard, who was shot dead, there were believed to be two other people in the vehicle. The police press officer in Sofala, Sididi Paulo, said the police have notified the other passengers in the car, but they have not come forward to give statements.

“We appeal to the conscience of the occupants of the car and others who are interested parties in the case to collaborate with the police”, said Paulo.

Asked about this, Calavete denied that Renamo is not cooperating in the investigation, but remitted all details to a future press conference.

Bissopo is still in South Africa where he was evacuated for medical treatment two days after the attack. His condition is said to be stable.