Renamo leader denounces abduction in central Mozambique

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Renamo leader denounces abduction in central Mozambique

4:40 CAT | 05 Feb 2016

Lusa (File)

Renamo (Mozambique National Resistance), the largest opposition party in Mozambique, yesterday denounced the kidnapping of its district delegate in Gondola, Manica province, in the centre of the country, by armed men in civilian clothes.

Speaking to Lusa, Sofrimento Matequenha, Renamo’s provincial political delegate in Manica, said that a group of men broke into the house of the opposition party’s Gondola district delegate on Wednesday night and kidnapped him. The victim and perpetrators are still missing.

“The men burst in at 9.00pm on Wednesday and found him watching TV, but he resisted and was shot in the foot. When his son tried to help him he was shot in the arm,” Matequenha explained.

According to Matequenha, the incident was immediately reported to the police, but they only visited the crime scene yesterday morning.

The spokesman for the provincial command of police of Manica, Elcídia Filipe, told Lusa that the police are working to clarify the circumstances of the abduction.

This is the second case of abduction of a Renamo member in Gondola in less than two weeks. The first occurred at the Inchope crossroads, when a young man was taken away and later returned bearing evidence of torture.

Frelimo (Mozambique Liberation Front) has also publicized alleged cases of abductions of its members, attributing them to the largest opposition party.

On Wednesday, Radio Mozambique reported that Renamo had attacked Frelimo members in Maringué district, Sofala province, where the opposition party maintains a military base, and that one of them was in serious condition.

“Renamo armed men in Maringué burned down the houses of Frelimo members and shot at innocent people,” the first secretary of Frelimo in Sofala province said.

Contacted by Lusa yesterday, Renamo spokesman Antonio Muchanga said only one house was burned in Maringué and denied any responsibility.

According to Muchanga, the incident involved a man allegedly enlisting young people to pose as Renamo defectors who then refused to split the money with their families, and it was the families of these young people who burned the house in retaliation.

On Friday, the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) accused Renamo of having attacked the village of Saute, in Gaza province, killing a truck driver.

The PRM also claim to have evidence implicating Renamo in recent attacks on Defence and Security Force positions, despite not having made any arrests and the opposition party denying its involvement.

Reports of incidents on both sides of the political crisis in Mozambique have increased in recent weeks, with the worsening of instability in the country.

Mozambique has been experiencing political instability for several with Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama threatening to seize power in six northern and central provinces of the country where his movement claims victory in the general elections of 2014.

Source: Lusa