EU expects guerrillas’ threat not to affect peace in Mozambique

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EU expects guerrillas’ threat not to affect peace in Mozambique

3:03 CAT | 14 Jun 2019

Photo: União Europeia em Moçambique

The European Union hopes that the threats made by guerrillas of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) to the president of the same party will not jeopardise the peace process, its ambassador to Mozambique has said.

“We are following the latest news with concern, and trust it will not compromise the peace process,” Antonio Sánchez-Benedito Gaspar said in Chimoio, central Mozambique, where political dialogue meetings between European diplomats and the Mozambican government are taking place.

The diplomat said the level of involvement and commitment of Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and Renamo leader Ossufo Momade was crucial, and that he believed the peace process was being well directed.

“There may be people with an interest in doing this, but I think the country is strong,” Gaspar said. “We are moving forward with a lot of optimism,” he said.

Gaspar said that the EU fully supported the process towards democratic normalcy in Mozambique and hoped that the government and Renamo would achieve “concrete progress” in the agreed stages leading to the signing of a definitive peace agreement by August.

On Wednesday, Renamo’s guerrillas demanded, via a press statement, that Ossufo Momade step down, accusing him of destroying the party, and threatened to kill him if he did not comply.

Renamo responded yesterday through its spokesman, José Manteigas, stating that Momade retained command of the armed wing of the organisation, and calling the officer who issued the threats “a deserter”.

Source: Lusa