Mozambique: Demobilised close Renamo Matola office, Momade re-opens it -Watch

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Mozambique: Demobilised close Renamo Matola office, Momade re-opens it -Watch

6:25 CAT | 23 Jul 2025

Screen grab: Renamo / Facebook

Ossufo Momade, the leader of Mozambique’s former rebel movement Renamo, on Monday personally ordered the re-opening of the Maputo provincial Renamo office, shortly after it had been closed by former Renamo guerrillas, who are demanding Momade’s resignation.

According to a report in Tuesday’s issue of the electronic publication, the “Mozambique Times”, Renamo released a video on social media showing Momade ordering the reopening of the office, located in the southern municipality of Matola. At the office, Momade, speaking to a handful of supporters, declared: “We will not allow this to happen again. I want to see who dares to shut down our offices”.

But Momade’s opponents seem determined to shut down Renamo offices across the country. Samuel Faustino, who claimed to represent the former Renamo guerrillas, stated earlier on Monday morning, as his followers closed the Matola office, that the group plans to shut down all party offices nationwide.

“As of today, 21 July, we can shut down all the national offices,” he said, accusing the current leadership of betraying Renamo’s ideals. According to Faustino, there is widespread dissatisfaction with Momade’s leadership and growing calls for an extraordinary congress.

The former guerrillas had already announced, on 14 July, a new wave of protests against Momade’s leadership, including the closure of party offices. They are demanding the urgent convening of a meeting of the Renamo National Council to discuss replacing Momade.

But, under the Renamo statutes, the National Council does not have the power to sack the party’s president. Renamo General Secretary Clementina Bomba told a Maputo press conference last Thursday that only a Renamo Congress has the power to remove Momade.

The National Council is the highest body of Renamo in the interval between Congresses, and it should meet at least twice a year.

“But it must be clear that the National Council has no power to sack the Party president, and the term of office of the President is five years”, said Bomba. “The term of office of the new President does not begin until the end of the term of the outgoing president. It is the congress that can decide whether President Ossufo Momade remains in office or not”.

The last Renamo Congress took place in 2024, and re-elected Momade as the Party’s president.

Source: AIM