Demobilisation of the Renamo General Staff in Gorongosa mountains has begun – Carta

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Demobilisation of the Renamo General Staff in Gorongosa mountains has begun – Carta

2:23 CAT | 24 Aug 2020

Photo: Miramar

The disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) of Renamo’s General Staff began last Thursday in the Serra da Gorongosa with part of a select group of officers who lived with the late charismatic leader of the party, Afonso Dhlakama.

The DDR process plans to cover about 5,000 former Renamo guerrillas. Since the resumption of the process on 4 June, just over 520 former Renamo guerrillas have been demobilised and two of the largest opposition party’s bases have been closed.

The progress of the DDR process expresses the fulfilment of the Maputo Peace and Reconciliation Agreement signed on August 6, 2019.

The peace agreement is threatened by armed attacks by the self-proclaimed Renamo Military Junta in the provinces of Manica and Sofala, in the centre of the country. Junta leader Mariano Nhongo and his supporters dispute the leadership of Ossufo Momade (president of Renamo) and vow they will not participate in the DDR process.

Speaking at the Serra da Gorongosa event, Renamo Secretary General André Magibire appealed to those demobilised to follow a good civilian life, warning that, in the event of any ‘return to the forests’, the responsibility would be theirs alone.

“As of today (Thursday) you are leaving your weapons, they are in the past. We do not want to hear afterwards that someone has returned to the bush. If that person picks up a gun again, it is their responsibility,” Magibire said.

After Serra da Gorongosa, the DDR Technical Group plans to move on with the materialization of the process in other parts of the country. The conclusion of the DDR process, as announced by the President of the Republic, is scheduled for July 2021.

The DDR process officially started on July 29, 2019, but has been in suspension for almost a year due to logistical constraints, with particular emphasis on the availability of funds.