Last week armed Renamo fighters attacked a police post in Muxungue in the central province of Sofala and murdered four members of the riot police. Two days later amed men, believed to be from Renamo, attacked four vehicles on the country’s main north-south highway, just 20 kilometres from Muxungue.
After the Thursday meeting, the Renamo delegation stressed, according to a report in Friday’s issue of the independent newsheet “Mediafax” that it was “showing the world that Renamo does not want war, but only a democratic political game where everybody has the same opportunities”.
For Friday, the Renamo delegation has meetings scheduled with officials of the Defence and Interior Ministries. Among the demands raised by Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama in his Wednesday press conference was that the police should be removed from the two Renamo offices they are currently occupying (in Muxungue and in the northern city of Nampula) and from the vicinity of Satunjira, in Gorongosa district, where Dhlakama is currently living.
However, the police have already made it very clear that they do not take orders from Dhlakama about where police units may or may not be stationed. Cited in Friday’s issue of the independent daily “O Pais”, the Sofala provincial police commander, Joaquim Nido, said the police would hold their current positions in Muxungue and Satunjira “in order to guarantee public order and security”.
He added that the police are hunting for the Renamo members who attacked the Muxungue police post. He claimed that some have already been detained, including a seriously injured Renamo fighter who is currently undergoing medical treatment in Beira Central Hospital.
Meanwhile, there are voices within the ruling Frelimo Party who are calling for the government to take a much tougher line towards Renamo. One of these is veteran nationalist Marcelino dos Santos. Do Santos, who is a founder member and former deputy president of Frelimo. Cited by “Mediafax”, he stressed that it is the responsibility of the Mozambican state to create the conditions for the country to live in peace and without the presence of armed gangs.
“Under the rule of law, it is unacceptable that anybody should have their own armed soldiers”, he said. “If somebody does appear with armed men, he really should be arrested an put on trial”.
He found it unacceptable that, 20 years after the peace agreement between the government and Renamo, there are still groups of armed men who are not part of the official defence and security forces.
If there were difficulties, he added, then the authorities should explain the real reasons that re preventing the total demilitarization of Renamo.
“That’s what should happen”, said dos Santos. “If it doesn’t happen, the responsibility lies with those who have the resources and the power, but don’t want to use them”.
“Measures should have been taken long ago against the Renamo armed bandits”, he stressed.
At the age of 84, dos Santos is effectively retired from active politics. But his voice remains influential within Frelimo.
Post published in: Africa News