Mozambique: Teachers claim they are being transferred for political reasons
Photo: O País
A group of 36 former guerrillas of Mozambique’s main opposition party, Renamo, will, within a matter of days, begin their training for membership of the Mozambican defence and security forces, according to a report on the independent television station, STV.
They arrived in Maputo on Friday, and they expect to be recruited into the Mozambican police force, particularly into the police unit in charge of protecting senior political figures – which means they will continue operating as bodyguards for the Renamo leadership.
“This group will protect the Renamo leaders and Renamo assets”, the party’s general secretary Andre Majibire told reporters in Beira on Monday.
They join another group, consisting of ten former guerrillas, who joined the police in mid-2020. They are all part of a list of 300 names, submitted by Renamo for recruitment into the police under the peace agreement signed in August 2019 by President Filipe Nyusi and Renamo leader Ossufo Momade.
Magibire said he does not know when the next phase, involving the incorporation into the police of a larger number of ex-guerrillas, will take off.
“It’s very difficult to make predictions in cases like this”, he said. “Our desire, as Renamo, is that the process should end tomorrow. But, unfortunately, it is a delicate matter, and the objective is not to end it urgently, but to ensure that everything goes well. So we have to accept ups and downs in order to guarantee a lasting peace”.
In the past Majibire has been highly critical of the government over the slow pace of including the former guerrillas in the police.
Just two weeks ago Renamo accused the government of failing to honour those parts of the peace agreement which concern recruiting former Renamo fighters into the defence and security forces.
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