Mozambican opposition leader asks dissident to “come back to his senses”

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Mozambican opposition leader asks dissident to “come back to his senses”

3:09 CAT | 08 Sep 2020

Ossufo Momade visiting Zambézia province. [Photo: ova Rádio Paz Quelimane]

The president of Renamo, the main Mozambican opposition party, has asked Mariano Nhongo, the dissident guerrilla accused of carrying out armed attacks in central Mozambique, to “come back to his senses”, saying that internal differences must be resolved within the party.

“I leave an appeal to my brother [Mariano] Nhongo to come back to his senses. There is no reason for anyone to take up arms over differences within the party,” Ossufo Momade said while on a working visit to Zambezia province, cited today by Mozambican Television.

In question are the armed attacks in Sofala and Manica, in central Mozambique, which have killed at least 24 people since August last year, all attributed to the self-proclaimed Renamo Military Junta splinter group led by Mariano Nhongo, a former guerrilla leader who challenges the party’s leadership and is demanding a revised peace agreement.

Ossufo Momade says the use of weapons to resolve party differences does not make sense, since Mozambique’s main opposition force has organs to solve internal problems.

“If [the person] does not want to speak to Ossufo, let him talk to the party organs so that his problems can be solved. There is no reason for anyone to take up arms,” Momade said, adding that every Renamo guerrilla must now take advantage of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process resulting from the Peace and National Reconciliation Agreement signed in August last year.

After a symbolic start last year, DDR had been stalled for several months after resuming on June 4 of this year.

Out of a total of 5,000 members of the armed wing of the largest opposition party that are expected to be covered, 1,075 have already surrendered their weapons within the framework of the understandings.

Despite the progress, the self-proclaimed Renamo Military Junta, accused of carrying out attacks on security forces and civilians in villages and on roads in the central region of the country, remains a concern for both parties.

Source: Lusa