Renamo guerrillas threaten to kill party leader if he does not resign – report

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Renamo guerrillas threaten to kill party leader if he does not resign – report

9:33 CAT | 12 Jun 2019

Today's press conference in Gorongosa. Photo: Voa Portugues

Renamo guerrillas today demanded the resignation of Ossufo Momade, threatening to kill the leader of the organisation should he fail to do so and accusing him of destroying the party.

“If he does not leave, we will kill him. We are going to attack Ossufo, [who] has ruined our party,” said Mariano Nhungue Chissinga, who presented himself as a general and commander of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), at a press conference in the Gorongosa mountains.

Mariano Nhungue Chissingue was flanked by several supposed Renamo guerrillas dressed in plain clothes and carrying AK-47 assault rifles. Journalists at the conference could also see other guerrillas in the woods nearby.

The rebels accuse Ossufo Momade of killing two brigadiers in the Renamo guerrilla headquarters and of having removed provincial and district delegates at the behest of the State Intelligence and Security Services (SISE) so as to destroy the party.

“The man is being used, he’s from SISE,” Chissingue alleged.

According to Chissinge, Momade has named relatives and friends unrelated to Renamo for leadership positions in the Mozambican Defence and Security Forces, to the detriment of officers serving in the party’s guerrilla bases.

He said that Momade, in collusion with SISE, had ignored calls for a more vigorous protest against irregularities in voter registration for the October 15 general elections.

Chissingue said Renamo’s “commandos” would choose a new leader on July 10 or 15 and that no Renamo guerrilla would accept disarmament and demobilisation while Ossufo Momade remained in office.

“We do not have a president, but do not provoke us. We are armed and strong,” he warned.

Meanwhile, party spokesman José Manteigas disparaged the general’s statements, telling Lusa that he himself had spoken to Momade that day about current party matters, and adding that more would be revealed at a press conference on Thursday.

“I am not aware of any kind of unrest. Today I even talked to General Ossufo Momade, who was serene and calm, about current party issues,” Manteigas said. Asked if the general who spoke to journalists today was a member of the Renamo guerrilla force, Manteigas said that further clarification would be offered at the press conference.

Manteigas said that Renamo was working on the candidacies of Momade and the party.

“In due course, we will indicate the date of the deposition of Ossufo Momade’s candidacy for the position of President of the Republic,” he added.

Source: Lusa