Renamo escalates low cost but high profile attacks – Hanlon

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Renamo escalates low cost but high profile attacks – Hanlon

7:51 CAT | 05 Sep 2016

Magazine Inepedente (File photo)

Renamo has moved to a strategy of low cost but high profile actions intended to frighten people and show it can attack at will. Four Renamo gunmen seized the head of the Tica, Nhamtanda, Sofala administrative post, Abilio Jorge, while he was addressing a meeting in Nhampoca locality. Also taken was a local regulo (chief), Joaquim Chinagara. Their bodies were found on 2 September. (AIM En 3 Sep, based on Radio Mocambique)

In the first attack in some time in Nampula province, in Nihessiue, Murrupula district, a group of 10 men, only two of whom were armed, attacked on 27 August. “They sang happily and said they were Renamo”, said one witness. They told people to flee their houses and run into the bush. A witness said they did not to want to kill anyone, and just wanted to ransack. As in other attacks, patients were chased from the hospital and raiders stole mosquito nets, sheets and scissors; official buildings were vandalised and the raiders set fire to the Frelimo office and the police station. The raiders attacked the home of the head of the administrative post, the senior government official in Nihessiue, and pointedly stole food and chickens from the house. (O Pais 29 Aug)

Comment: There seems little interest in high risk confrontations with government forces. Instead Renamo is using small, low risk attacks to meet three goals:

+ First, it wants to show that Renamo can move at will.

+ Second, that the government cannot defend the population, and cannot even defend its own officials. This is underlined by targeted assassinations of officials and community leaders allied to the government.

+ Third, Renamo appears to be adopting a tactic of the 1982-92 war. Better health care has been an important government gain, and a Renamo goal in the war to make people afraid to use government health facilities. So ransacking health posts may also be a return to this strategy.

By: Joseph Hanlon

Source: News reports & clippings