Mozambique: Former Renamo guerrillas ordered to hold conference

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Mozambique: Former Renamo guerrillas ordered to hold conference

6:01 CAT | 26 May 2025

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Lusa]

The National Political Commission of Mozambique’s former rebel movement Renamo has instructed the Association of former Renamo guerrillas (ACOLDE) to hold a conference in the near future to discuss the internal situation within the party.

At a press conference in Maputo on Friday, the Political Commission spokesperson, Saide Fidel, said nothing about the main demand of the Renamo dissidents, which is for the resignation of the party’s leader, Ossufo Momade.

Indeed, the only decision Fidel announced is that ACOLDE should hold a national conference “urgently”. He did not suggest a date.

Fidel said the Political Commission met on Thursday and “analysed in depth the political, economic and social situation of the country with particular stress on the recent events inside the party, unleashed by the demobilised fighters”.

Groups of people claiming to be demobilised guerrillas have occupied Renamo offices across the country, disrupting the party’s normal operations. A group of the demobilised have even camped out at the Maputo headquarters, and say they will not leave until Momade has been sacked.

Representatives of the group, interviewed by the independent television station STV, said they do not feel represented by the Renamo parliamentary group. They said they will not leave the Renamo headquarters, until Momade has resigned.

The demobilised blame the Momade leadership for Renamo’s poor showing in last year’s general election. In all previous elections Renamo had come second. But this time it dropped to third place, behind the ruling Frelimo Party, and the Party of Optimists for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos).

This will have financial consequences for Renamo. With a greatly reduced parliamentary group, the subsidy that Renamo received from the Mozambican state will also be reduced.

Source: AIM