Rwanda wants "to further strengthen" cooperation with Mozambique - Kagame
Renamo today denounced the shelling of the mountains of Gorongosa in central Mozambique, where it is presumed to be living the party leader, Afonso Dhlakama. This took place on the same day the Mozambican authorities blamed opposition gunmen for the murder of a traditional chief (‘régulo’).
“These attacks are being made widely against the mountains of Gorongosa through heavy artillery, which is firing B11 howitzers in all directions, and which are intended to irritate Renamo [Mozambique National Resistance],” said today at a press conference Maputo the spokesman of the largest opposition party.
According to António Muchanga, attacks on the Gorongosa mountains are also intended to lead to Renamo “responding with military offensives throughout the country, including the capital, in order to declare the failure of the negotiations.”
The Renamo spokesman meant the resumption of peace talks between the government and the largest opposition party in Maputo, in the presence of international mediators, which is to be accompanied by reports of new episodes of political violence in the centre of the country.
The Mozambican authorities today accused Renamo gunmen of murdering the traditional chief of Chibabava, Sofala province, who was shot dead on Thursday night at his home.
“We are quite distressed by the way the incident occurred,” said Helena Taipo, quoted today by Rádio Moçambique, speaking about the killing of ‘régulo’ Muxungué in front of his family members, and asking for Renamo to stop violence.
Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, defended on Thursday the immediate cessation of military confrontation.
“What Mozambicans want is the immediate cessation of the killing and destruction of property,” Nyusi said, speaking at a rally in Mopeia district, Zambezia province, centre of the country.
In an interview today to weekly newspaper Savana, Afonso Dhlakama discarded an immediate ceasefire and said that the issue will only be addressed at the end of the negotiations between the parties.
“If we cease fire, it means that the war ended. But as we have not reached an agreement, not reconciled, not reached an understanding amongst ourselves, it means that, months later, we would return to conflict and we would be letting the people down,” he said.
Despite the resumption of negotiations in Maputo between the government and Renamo, reports of military clashes in central Mozambique have not ceased, as well as ambushes on the roads attributed to the opposition’s armed wing and mutual allegations of abductions and assassinations of political leaders.
In an interview with Savana, Dhlakama again justified the ambushes on the roads in the centre of the country with the claim that the attacked vehicles, even civilians, are carrying military from the government.
“Renamo tries to reduce the logistics of the enemy. I say enemy because it comes attack us,” said Dhlakama.
Although Dhlakama has said that he is not ready for a ceasefire, in the press conference today in Maputo, the spokesman of the largest opposition party called for “the immediate cessation of hostile acts against the president of Renamo and members of this political group “.
The moment, said António Muchanga, “is one of negotiations and we must give the opportunity to those individuals [international mediators] who, in good faith, agreed to come to this country to help find the path of peace.”
The Mozambican government and Renamo began in Maputo on Thursday to discuss the requirement of the main opposition party to take over governance of the six provinces where it claims victory in the general elections in 2014.
The agenda also includes the immediate cessation of fighting between the parties, of the defence and security forces, including the police and intelligence services, and the disarmament of the armed wing of Renamo and their reintegration into civilian life.
The main opposition party refuses to accept the results of the general elections in 2014, threatening to rule in the six provinces where it claims victory in the poll.
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