Homoine massacre: 37 years of mourning in Mozambique

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Homoine massacre: 37 years of mourning in Mozambique

4:37 CAT | 19 Jul 2024

FILE - Authorities plan to erect a monument in memory of the victims, 37 years after the tragedy. [File photo: DW/L. da Conceição]

Thirty-seven years have passed since the Homoine massacre in Inhambane, Mozambique. Local residents remember the tragedy that claimed hundreds of lives. Authorities plan to erect a monument in memory of the victims.

The Homoine massacre occurred on July 18, 1987, during the 16-year civil war between government forces and Renamo guerrillas. On that Saturday, residents of the village of Homoine woke up to the sound of gunfire. Hundreds of deaths and the destruction of countless homes ensued.

Hussen Algy, one of the survivors, remembers the date with great sadness.

“On the day of the massacre, I lost my family: my father, my mother, my sisters and my girlfriend, a total of 17 people who were taking refuge in our house. I managed to escape through the window when I saw the soldiers.”

Florêncio Vuma, another survivor, says he will never forget the day.

“To talk about the Homoine massacre is to remember a tragic story for humanity, especially for us, residents of Homoine. We counted 428 people killed on that date.”

Florêncio António describes the chaos experienced during the raid by the government military. “When the BTR arrived from Tchuwane, anyone in the village was shot, being mistaken for Renamo guerrillas. After calm, they began to collect the bodies, many of which were unrecognisable.”

Jovial Setina, president of the municipal council of Homoine, told the press that the government was planning to erect a monument in memory of those murdered. “We recognize the anniversary of the Homoine massacre as if it were yesterday; it is a pain that will not go away. We are planning the construction of a monument, and the training of young people so that, in the future, they can explain what happened on July 18th.”

In the town of Homoine, there are mass graves where more than three hundred unclaimed bodies rest. The rest lie in family cemeteries.

Source: Deutsche Welle