Mozambican police have no leads in Renamo leader murder

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Mozambican police have no leads in Renamo leader murder

12:32 CAT | 12 Apr 2016

Folha de Maputo

Police in Beira, central Mozambique, have no leads as to the identity of the gunmen who shot and killed Renamo politician and military advisor to the head of state José Manuel and two other men on Saturday, a police source told Lusa yesterday.

José Manuel, who represented Renamo on the National Council for Defence and Security and was a member of the military wing of the main opposition party, was shot dead by unknown assailants on the Aerporto – Mercado Mascarenhas road outside Beira international airport at about 11:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Also killed were the motorbike-taxi driver and Manuel’s traveling companion, so far unnamed. One of them died on the spot and the other on the way to hospital.

“The police of the 9th police station in the Aeroporto neighbourhood were called to attend to a case of murder that happened on the street,” Macuacua said. A group of armed men in a vehicle are reported to have blocked off the ‘tchopela’ and opened fire on the occupants.

“Right now the police are still endeavouring to find the perpetrators of this crime. The notices, reporting all the facts observed on the ground, have been issued,” Sofala police spokesman Daniel Macuacua told Lusa yesterday, adding that a murder case had been opened.

Renamo spokesman Antonio Muchanga said the opposition leader’s murder confirmed there was a pattern of intimidation and execution of opposition party members.

The incident occurred on the same day political leaders including President Fiipe Nyusi and Mozambican clergy called for peace and reconciliation during the funeral service of Jaime Gonçalves, Archbishop Emeritus of Beira and Catholic mediator of the Rome 1992 agreements that brought to an end Mozambique’s 16-year civil war.

It was also in Beira that Renamo secretary-general, Manuel Bissopo, was shot and injured in an attack by unknown assailants in another unsolved incident on 20 January.

Source: Lusa