Mozambique elections: Fake news & audio: False Renamo dissident threat of new attacks – By Joseph Hanlon

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Mozambique elections: Fake news & audio: False Renamo dissident threat of new attacks – By Joseph Hanlon

9:51 CAT | 23 Sep 2019

FILE: For illustration purposes only. [Stock photo]

“In a nutshell, the audio says that Renamo’s military wing, in the person of Mr. [Mariano] Nhongo, contacted Beira City-based Radio Pax warning that his men will start attacking on Monday, the sections are: INCHOPE – SAVE, INCHOPE – CHIMOIO, INCHOPE – BORDER, INCHOPE – NHAMAPADZA ”.

This quotation circulated last week on social networks, accompanied by an Ndau-language audio, attributed to the self-proclaimed leader of the Renamo Military Junta, Mariano Nhongo, with the claim that is was broadcast by Pax Community Radio, based in Beira.

The message and audio are false, the Catholic church Radio Pax director Father Jose Suade said. He acknowledged an interview with Mariano Nhongo on Wednesday (September 18) but said that at no time did the self-proclaimed leader mention attacks in the areas referred to in the text. The director of the station also said that Nhongo spoke in Portuguese and not in Ndau, as the audio suggests. “Our broadcast is in Portuguese. We do not broadcast in the local language.”

“In the audio of the interview we had with Mr. Nhongo, the information of the text does not appear, much less the audio that circulates on social networks,” said Father Suade.

With support from the National Community Radio Forum (FORCOM), Radio Pax issued a statement on Friday denying that Mariano Nhongo announced attacks in an interview with this broadcaster.

Since the start of the election campaign, several attacks have taken place in the central region of the country. The most recent were in the neighboring district of Gorongosa and Nhamatanda districts, Sofala, and another in the village of Zimpinga in Gondola district, Manica. The latest of the attacks took place on Tuesday, a day before Nhongo spoke to the press.

By Joseph Hanlon

Source: 2019 General Elections - Mozambique Political Process Bulletin