Dispute over new Renamo officers (J.Hanlon)

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Dispute over new Renamo officers (J.Hanlon)

9:40 CAT | 17 Dec 2018

In fine CoM

The government finally gave senior posts to three Renamo officers on 11 December, but in such a pusillanimous way as to provoke a Renamo protest.

Three senior officers from Renamo who joined the Mozambican Armed Forces (FADM) as part of the peace agreement in 1994 were promoted by Defence Minister Atanasio M’tumuke to be interim department heads in the FADM General Staff. Xavier Antonio became interim Director of Operations, Inacio Luis Vaz became interim Director of Military Information, and Araujo Andeiro Maciacona became interim Director of Communications.

On 6 August President Filipe Nyusi and the Coordinator of the Renamo Political Commission, Ossufo Momade signed an agreement which included the naming of the three to be department heads in the General Staff. On 15 August, the three were given higher ranks: Xavier Antonio and Araujo Maciacona from colonel to brigadier, and navy captain Inacio Luis Vaz to commodore. O Pais (13 Dec) says that, until this point, they had not been promoted since they joined the FADM 24 years ago.

Renamo spokesperson Jose Manteigas reacted angrily on 12 December, saying the August agreement was for 14 appointments and they were supposed to be permanent, not “interim”. He continued: “The reconquest of peace and national reconciliation should not be based on temporary and palliative solutions, otherwise we may have a precarious peace and reconciliation.”

But on 13 December M’tumuke said that “There are just three vacancies, and not 14. That’s an invention.”

However the August accord is clear, that Renamo will “delivery a list of 14 (10 + 4) Renamo officers to FADM and 10 officers to hold positions of direction and command in the PRM [Mozambican Police].” The 10+4 in brackets in the agreement links to other agreements that four would be directors in the General Staff – of which three have been named – and 10 would have senior but lower level posts such as brigade and battalion commanders. Renamo handed in its list of 14 and it appears all were promoted in August, but only 3 have been given posts, and those are “interim”. (AIM Eng 15 Aug, 12,13 Dec; Lusa 12 Dec; Carta do Dia 13,14,16 Dec; O Pais 13 Dec)

Source: J.Hanlon