EU Military Assistance Mission marks presence at the launch of Mozambique Armed Forces Week
Breaking: Renamo will not abandon peace talks in Mozambique – Muchanga
5:54 CAT | 10 Oct 2016
Lusa (File photo) / Antonio Muchanga
Renamo, the main opposition party in Mozambique, announced today that it will not abandon the peace talks in the country, despite the murder of a member of its delegation at the table of dialogue with the government.
“Renamo would continue negotiations even today, if there was an agenda, Renamo would be willing to take part in the negotiations, Renamo is available,” said the spokesman for the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), Antonio Muchanga, in a press conference of repudiation of the murder of Jeremias Pondeca on Saturday.
The Renamo delegation to peace talks, continued Muchanga, is waiting for a call and an indication of the agenda for the resumption of the negotiating process, interrupted a week ago at the request of international mediators.
“The most important thing now is to continue the journey, we have a reasonable number (of members in the negotiations) to continue the journey,” added the spokesman of the main opposition party.
In a statement read by its spokesman at the press conference, Renamo considers that the murder of Jeremias Pondeca aims to force the main opposition party to abandon the dialogue, warning of the bad consequences of any failure of the negotiation process.
“This barbaric act perpetrated by the enemies of democracy and of the welfare of the people of Mozambique aims to force Renamo to abandon the dialogue, which would be very bad for the people of Mozambique, because we are all reminded that all conflicts end at the negotiations table” said Antonio Muchanga.
The Renamo spokesman deplored the fact that the deadly shooting of Jeremias Pondeca, who was also a state councillor and a former parliament member of two legislatures, took place in the capital of the country, during the day and on a public road.
Muchanga said that the wake of Pondeca will be held on Wednesday at the headquarters of Maputo City Council and the funeral is to take place on Thursday in his homeland of Ndolene, in Chidenguele, Gaza province.
The Police of the Republic of Mozambique in Maputo today indicated that the body of Jeremias Pondeca was found on the beach of Costa do Sol “riddled with bullets,” a crime allegedly committed by four men, while he was doing his usual morning exercises.
In a press conference heldtoday (Monday, October 10), the spokesman of PRM in Maputo, Orlando Modumane has said that the authorities will do everything in their power to bring the perpetrators of the murder to justice.
Several members of Renamo and of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) were assassinated in recent months and the two parties have exchanged accusations over the authorship of these crimes.
The murder of members of the two main Mozambican parties happens in the context of the ongoing clashes between the Defence and Security Forces and the armed wing of Renamo, following the movment’s refusal to accept the results of the general elections in 2014.
Renamo accuses Frelimo of electoral fraud and demands to rule in the six provinces where it claims election victory.
Portugal, the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) have condemned the death of Jeremias Pondeca, encouraging the government and Renamo to pursue the path of dialogue to end the political and military crisis.
Source: Lusa
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