Mozambique: Renamo dissidents will not halt demobilisation – Manzoni | AIM report

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Mozambique: Renamo dissidents will not halt demobilisation – Manzoni | AIM report

10:41 CAT | 04 Aug 2020

in file CoM

The attacks staged by the self-styled “Renamo Military Junta” in central Mozambique “are the antithesis of the vision of peace” which the former leader of Renamo, the late Afonso Dhlakama “in his last years fought to preserve”, declared Mirko Manzoni, the Personal Envoy to Mozambique of United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, on Saturday.

In a statement issued to mark the first anniversary of the Agreement on the Definitive Cessation of Military Hostilities, signed between the government and Renamo, Manzoni said “While we could not have imagined then that, just one year later, the way we live our lives would be radically changed due to COVID-19, we can remain proud of that moment and even prouder of what has been achieved since then”.

The agreement on the cessation of hostilities was followed by a General Peace Agreement signed by President Filipe Nyusi and Renamo leader Ossufo Momade on 6 August 2019. But a group of Renamo dissidents called Momade a “traitor”, and demanded that Nyusi negotiate a new agreement with them.

They formed the Renamo Military Junta and declared that their leader, Mariano Nhongo, was now the true President of Renamo. For much of the past year the Junta has launched a string of murderous attacks against traffic using the main roads through Manica and Sofala provinces.

Manzoni, who is also chairperson of the international Contact Group facilitating the dialogue between the government and Renamo, said “Respect for the cessation of hostilities is essential as we advance with the disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration (DDR) of Renamo former combatants and we are encouraged by what has been achieved to date”.

In this message, dated 1 August, Manzoni said “members of the Joint Technical Group for Monitoring and Verification continue to work tirelessly to safeguard compliance while spreading messages of peace. There have been some challenges along the way, but I firmly believe there is now no turning back on the road to a definitive peace”.

He said that, within two months 554 Renamo combatants “have been successfully demobilised and have returned to civilian life in the midst of the global pandemic”. This is ten per cent of the 5,221 men whom the Renamo leadership had claimed were under arms in its militia.

Manzoni warned that the Military Junta would not be allowed to sabotage the demobilisation. “The only way forward for all Renamo ex-combatants is within the peace process and we cannot allow outside unrest to jeopardise this”, he declared.

Source: AIM