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Picture: O País
An elementary school teacher and his wife were assaulted in their own home in the district of Derre, Zambezia province, in the early hours of Friday morning by three individuals allegedly linked to the Frelimo party, Mozambican newspaper ‘O País’ reports.
The episode took place in the village of Guerrissa. The victims are Aristides da Conceição, a teacher and a member of Renamo party, and Raina Leão.
According to the teacher, it all started when Renamo’s head of list Manuel de Araújo and his entourage visited the region on Thursday as part of the election campaign. The teacher joined the group and went out canvassing for votes.
When the [Renamo] entourage returned to Quelimane, three men entered the teacher’s home and physically assaulted him and his partner.
Aristides’ left eye was injured and he had bled profusely form a head wound. His wife was also assaulted; her left wrist was twisted and her arm injured.
“It was horrible what they did to us, just because I belong to Renamo. I have often suffered on account of my party affiliation. I have already received several letters of transfer to the interior of the district but I have refused to go. I am paying a very high price for thinking differently,” a visibly emotional Aristides said.
Aristides said that, as he was being beaten, one of the assailants accidentally illuminated his partner in the face, and he was able to identify him.
“I know the person who did this to me: he is a member of Frelimo, and rides a motorcycle with his party’s logo.”
On Friday morning, the young couple were transported from Guerrissa to the capital of Zambezia in a Quelimane municipal council ambulance to secure better medical care.
PRM confirms the attack
Zambézia police provincial command spokesman Sidner Lonzo confirmed that three men had entered the couple’s house that night. One of the attackers had already been apprehended and transferred to Morrumbala District PRM Command as a security measure. Two others are still on the run, and the corporation was conducting searches to clear the matter up.
Araújo sends messages to international community
Renamo’s head of list Manuel de Araújo reacted, deploring the international community’s silence in the face of violence in Mozambique, especially that involving members of Renamo.
“We have recently seen the killing of Renamo members by the infamous death squads, where the international community remained totally silence, as if this were nothing at all, while human lives were cut down with those who could do something about it not budging an inch to stop the culling,” he said.
Araujo believes that, by contrast, the international community would have “maybe sent a communique” to the party if violence was being committed by Renamo members.
“At this time, we are reporting cases of electoral violence which have occurred in Pinda, in Morrumbala district, and in Inhassunge, where Renamo members were assaulted for working with the head of list. We also note the silence of the international community. After all, what kind of peace are we talking about in Mozambique, when Renamo members are assaulted by Frelimo for belonging to the opposition?” Araujo demanded to know.
At the time of going to press, Manuel de Araújo and Venâncio Mondlane were heading for Morrumbala, whose courts should supervise the case, Derre being a newly created district so far without courts or a public prosecutor’s office.
By Jorge Marcos
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