Watch: Renamo accuses government of financing the murder of opponents

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Watch: Renamo accuses government of financing the murder of opponents

10:32 CAT | 03 Nov 2016

António Muchanga da Renamo durante uma conferência de imprensa na sede do partido onde denunciou aquilo que considera ser várias irregularidades que interferiram no processo eleitoral, Maputo, Moçambique, 16 de outubro de 2014. A conferência de imprensa realizou-se depois de terem sido divulgados os primeiros resultados das eleições gerais moçambicanas, que colocam o candidato presidencial da Frelimo (Frente de Libertação de Moçambique), Filipe Nyusi, na liderança da contagem, com 60,69%, quando estavam apuradas apenas 8,55% das mesas de voto. ANTÓNIO SILVA/LUSA

Lusa (File photo )/ Antonio Muchanga, spokesman of Renamo

The Mozambican National Resistance party (Renamo) has accused the government of financing the murder of opposition party activists, claiming that about a hundred members have been killed and about 250 are missing.

“Members of Renamo who have lost their lives number about 100, but we have many others – as many as 250 – who have disappeared,” Renamo spokesman Antonio Muchanga told a press conference called to announce the non-fatal shooting of a party member in Mocuba district, Zambezia province.

“Unfortunately, there is no will to do anything [to stop the murders], which are financed by the state, of course, because if that were not so, they would not have become so widespread,” Muchanga said.

Muchanga said the attacks on party members were aimed at forcing the party to abandon the ongoing dialogue about political and military violence with the government.

“These acts, encouraged by the top leadership of this party [Frelimo], are designed to force Renamo to abandon the dialogue. We will foil this design by maintaining our firmness and persistence in the dialogue,” the main opposition party spokesman said.

On Sunday, Juma Ramos, the head of the Renamo bench in the Sofala provincial assembly, was shot dead by unknown individuals.

According to the Sofala provincial command police spokesman Daniel Macuácua, the deputy was killed in his small grocery store, barraca.

Last Saturday night, two Frelimo secretaries in Dondo district, Sofala province, were killed and one was wounded in an operation that police attributed to the armed wing of Renamo.

Last Thursday, a Renamo official was shot dead in his home in Gúruè, Zambezia province, in an action attributed by his party to the “silencers of democracy”, a party source told Lusa.

Militants from both the two main Mozambican parties have died in the country in recent months in the ongoing military clashes between defence and security forces and the armed wing of the opposition arm.

Jeremias Pondeca, Renamo member of the State Council and part of the party’s peace negotiations team, was recently found shot dead in Maputo.

Last week, Renamo and the Democratic of Mozambique Movement (MDM) accused the government in parliament of having created death squads targeting members of the opposition, while Frelimo attributes to the armed wing of the main opposition party the assassinations of its members .

Justice Minister Isaque Chande rejected claims that the government had established any death squads, saying that the authorities pursued only criminal organisations.

The Mozambican authorities have accused Renamo of a series of ambushes on the roads and attacks in the centre and north of the country, targeting police stations and also attacks on civilian facilities such as health centres or economic targets.

Renamo, in turn, accuses the Defence and Security Forces and military assaults on party positions.

The largest opposition party demands to rule in six provinces where it claims election victory in the 2014 general elections, accusing Frelimo of electoral fraud .

Despite the cases of violence, the Mozambican government and Renamo maintain dialogue in Maputo in the presence of international mediators.