Recently, the members of the opposition RENAMO party has signed a peace agreement with the Mozambican government. However, the armed wing of the RENAMO does not want to lay down their arms. War now threatens?
Fighters of the armed wing of the Mozambican RENAMO party
It is a message that rocked Mozambique’s policy: “We, the military junta of RENAMO, will prevent the October elections planned for so long, until the government has negotiated the peace Treaty with us. The recently signed peace Treaty we do not recognize. An election campaign is not to give it to! Everyone who makes a choice calls, to know that We will kill him!” Martial threats, uttered by General Mariano Nhongo, the chief of the armed wing of the opposition RENAMO party, in a telephone interview with DW.
He, Nhongo, is the true and rightful leader of the RENAMO (“the National resistance of Mozambique”), the former rebel movement, the moved to the country’s independence in 1975, against the ruling FRELIMO (“Front for the liberation of Mozambique”) in the war. Ossufo Momade, the official party leader of the RENAMO, the on 1. August had signed a peace Treaty with the government, was not legitimized, in the name of RENAMO any agreement to sign, so Nhongo.
Who speaks for RENAMO?
In the process, Ossufo Momade was in January at an extraordinary party Congress to the RENAMO-Chairman and thus as successor to the deceased Ex-rebel leader Afonso Dhlakama is selected. In the DW-Interview Nhongo is now serious allegations against Momade: He was an Agent in the service of the government party FRELIMO and the state President Filipe Nyusi.
Mariano Nhongo in mid-August on a RENAMO base in Gorongosa
At the same time General Nhongo self-aware: He claims to be distributed in command of about 500 armed men, the points to eleven different support anywhere in the country. The authority Momades he will never accept this, he adds in the Interview he gives on the phone from his base in the remote Gorongosa mountains in the province of Sofala from. “The government must not negotiate with Momade, but needs to speak with us directly, the RENAMO military junta. Otherwise there will be war!”
Historic Peace Treaty?
The stumbling block for Nhongo: 1. August President Filipe Nyusi and RENAMO had-Chairman, Ossufo Momade, a new peace agreement was signed, including a pompous ceremony, with guests from home and abroad. In this document, both parties are obliged to do so, all the enemy actions or military actions to do so. The RENAMO undertakes to lay down their arms and submit, as well as to vacate all the military bases. In return, all RENAMO should be integrated fighter step by step in the normal Mozambican police and military structures.
The success can, of RENAMO chief Ossufo Momade, showed up at the signing yet convinced: “We say good-bye, hereby, once and for all from the violence and from war.” The peace Treaty was the cornerstone for a lasting peace in Mozambique. The German Ambassador Detlev Wolter, who was present at the ceremony, spoke of a “historic day”, the Mozambique’m finally going to “bring peace and stability”.
RENAMO chief Ossufo Momade (right) and President Filipe Nyusi, at the signing of the peace Treaty
The long shadow of the Cold war
But a glance in the past, urges caution. Finally, it has been in the past, the peace agreement between RENAMO and the FRELIMO government of Mozambique. A first peace Treaty was signed in 1992 in Rome and had ended the bloody civil war – a decades – long conflict in the character of the Cold war. However, in 2013, the RENAMO took up the armed struggle again as they felt the FRELIMO marginalized. In 2014, a temporary cease-fire agreement, which was extended to 2017 for an indeterminate amount of time, the conflict but never quite was able to finish then followed.
The current peace Treaty 1. August 2019 should resolve the conflict permanently, but also the agreement from the very beginning with feet of clay: On the eve of the signing were injured in an attack on a truck in the province of Sofala, two people hard. For the attack Nhongos “Junta Militar is made as RENAMO” responsible. Mariano Nhongo has, however, in the DW-Interview any responsibility for the attack itself. Then last week, on 21. August should have left the RENAMO fighters their military bases and weapons. However, the RENAMO started time idly pass by.
Peace in the balance
What went wrong? Lost the official RENAMO leadership, the control over their armed wing? RENAMO spokesman José Manteigas is in the DW-Interview on the authority of party chief Momade: “The RENAMO is an officially registered political party and is represented by its Chairman, Ossufo Momade, who was elected this year on a legitimate Congress with a clear majority.”
RENAMO spokesman José Manteigas wants to solve the disputes in his party’s internal
The party spokesperson asks for patience: The current conflict has to internally “within the RENAMO-family solved”. The implementation of the peace agreement is a very complex process. The non-observance of the deadlines is disappointing, admits of Manteigas. Even more important, however, that the government has all the financial resources available, which are provided for the disarmament, demobilization and rein tegratio of RENAMO fighters. Also, the international community is the responsibility of. Representatives of Western countries have provided financial and political support in view.
Election date in danger?
But time is running out: On 15. October should take place in Mozambique, presidential and parliamentary elections, the election campaign kick-off is planned for beginning of September. The dispute within the RENAMO makes for insecurity and fear. Will be able to take the choice?
The skepticism is growing, especially among the many young people in the country. 65 percent of all Mozambicans are younger than 25 years. In the capital of Maputo, young people with urban street art protested at the weekend against a resurgence of violence. One of the protesters told the DW that he felt from the old parties taken hostage.
And also in Parliament, resistance to the two major parties is upset. The members of MDM (“democratic movement of Mozambique”), José Manuel de Sousa, expressed in the Parliament the concern that the elections could lead to violence: “The conditions for peaceful elections do not currently exist.” Once again would RENAMO and Frelimo your inability to prove that the prerequisites for a genuine peace to create, as de Sousa.
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