Police move against Renamo in Chibabava and Gondola

On Wednesday, according to a report on Radio Mozambique, the police moved against a military camp being set up by Renamo in the area of Muxungue, in Chibabava district, in the central province of Sofala. In this operation, the police detained 15 former Renamo guerrillas.

The spokesperson for the Sofala provincial police command, Mateus Mazive, said that because of the resistance offered by the Renamo men, the police unit involved was obliged to use tear gas.

Mazive said the operation was undertaken in order to maintain order and tranquility in the region. The Chibabava district administrator, Arnaldo Machove, said the presence of the Renamo base was causing disquiet among the residents of the area.

Meanwhile, in the neighbouring province of Manica, the police moved against the Renamo office in the town of Gondola, where 200 Renamo members had gathered. The police occupied the office “to restore order in the district” according to Manica police spokesperson, Belmiro Mutudiua.

He said that the presence of such a large number of men at the office constituted a danger and was causing panic among the local population, because of the “clandestine meetings” they were holding.

“We became aware of the presence of more than 200 men living in a place without the minimum conditions”, he added. “Renamo did not inform the local government nor did it ask for any police protection. The presence of those men there constituted a threat, and so we dispersed them and occupied the office”.

The Renamo men, after they had been driven out of the building, were then escorted to the local police command, where statements were taken from them. The police detained three of them, including the Renamo Gondola district delegate, Filipe Machatine. The others were told to return to their homes.

“We had entered into contact with the Renamo to find a place with a healthy environment, to put their men, but this was not accepted”, Mutadiua added. “No shots were fired, and nobody was injured”.