Mozambique: Momade promises to dismantle Cheringoma and Marínguè bases

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Mozambique: Momade promises to dismantle Cheringoma and Marínguè bases

8:29 CAT | 08 Oct 2020

Photo. Sala da Paz

The leader of Mozambique’s main opposition party, Renamo, Ossufo Momade, has promised that he will shortly be bringing “good news” for Mozambicans.

Interviewed on Tuesday in the southern province of Inhambane, by the independent television station, STV, Momade said that two more Renamo military bases, in Cheringoma and Maringue districts, in Sofala province, will shortly be dismantled.

He did not reveal how many members of the Renamo militia are stationed in those bases, nor how many weapons they possess.

Asked about the Renamo base at Funhalouro, in Inhambane, Momade said the current priority is to demobilise all the Renamo bases in Sofala. Only when this is complete will bases in other provinces be dealt with.

Momade added that Renamo is still working to bring the self-styled “Renamo Military Junta”, under Mariano Nhongo, into the demobilisation and disarming of the militia, and the subsequent reintegration of its members into society (a process known by the acronym “DDR”).

Although Nhongo dismisses Momade as “a traitor”, and does not recognise the peace agreement he signed in August 2019 with President Filipe Nyusi, Momade was still hopeful that Nhongo can be persuaded to abandon his current path of staging murderous ambushes on the main roads of Manica and Sofala.

“DDR was always an inclusive process for all members of Renamo”, said Momade. “We have been working to call Mariano Nhongo to his senses. He has to understand that killing people is not going to get us anywhere”.

Complicating matters for Momade is the re-emergence of Elias Dhlakama, the brother of the late Renamo leader, Afonso Dhlakama.

He intends to run for the leadership of Renamo at the next Renamo Congress. At the fourth Renamo Congress, held in January 2019 Elias Dhlakama came second in the election for the Renamo President. Momade won this election easily with 410 votes against 238 for Dhlakama.

Nonetheless, Dhlakama is optimistic that he will win at the next Congress. If that happens, then Dhlakama would almost certainly be the Renamo candidate in the 2024 presidential election. However, there is no guarantee that a Renamo congress will be held before 2024.

One Dhlakama has already announced his intention to run for the presidency. He is Henriques Dhlakama, son of Afonso. But his uncle dismisses him: Elias Dhlakama pointed out that Henriques has no political experience, and is not even a member of Renamo.

Source: AIM