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Lusa (File photo) / Renamo spokesman António Muchanga
The Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) yesterday rejected suggestions made to Lusa regarding the disappearance of a Portuguese businessman in the center of the country near the opposition movement sphere of operations.
Party spokesman António Muchanga said: “Renamo had nothing to do with the abduction of the Portuguese citizen,” and accused Mozambican judicial authorities of failing to investigate the case properly.
“There were people who volunteered to help in the investigations and the government refused,” Muchanga said, challenging the Mozambican judicial authorities to conduct a serious investigation into the case.
Without being specific, Muchanga said that people in the area knew who kidnapped the Portuguese man and what means of transport was used. “He who owes nothing, fears nothing,” he went on to say. “So we appeal to common sense on the part of Nyusi’s envoys. Only this will show that he is negotiating peace open-hearted, we cannot deceive ourselves.”
Renamo rejected any hint of being tied to the case in statements to Lusa yesterday, characterizing as absurd statements made by Mozambican Interior Minister Jaime Basílio Monteiro in Portugal.
According to the Público newspaper, Monteiro said there were suspicions that Renamo, which has armed bases in Gorongosa, was involved in the abduction.
“The position of Nyusi’s envoy is absurd,” Muchanga said. If it is confirmed that he made these statements, “he is rendering a poor service to the Mozambican state”.
“More than eight months have gone by, and relatives of the man who has disappeared have come to Mozambique several times to speak with official entities, and never has the government offered this version. It is an attempt to ‘cover the sun with the sieve’ which can only tarnish the good name of our country,” Muchanga added.
The Portuguese businessman has been missing for eight months, after being taken, it is thought, by persons unknown to the Gorongosa district, an area with a strong Defence and Security Forces presence and where the armed wing of Renamo has always maintained bases.
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