The Naparamas in Mozambique: Myth, mystic and popular struggle

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The Naparamas in Mozambique: Myth, mystic and popular struggle

6:14 CAT | 13 Feb 2025

FILE - For illustration purposes only . [File photo: Screen grab, Social Media]

Mythical and mystical, the Naparamas only act in times of extreme tension or war, a parallel force that goes to the front line in defence of the people, reportedly feared by the army. They are deemed enemies of the government, but were its allies.

Today, they are relentlessly persecuted by the authorities – in Larde, in Nampula province, and in Morrumbala, in Zambézia. But they were once strategic allies of the Frelimo government, in the 16-year civil war against Renamo.

Elections expert Guilherme Mbilana, who lived for eight years in Bilibiza, Cabo Delgado province, at the time, tells us about this union. “It was the creation of local forces that fought Renamo without using weapons so much; it was a locally created group.”

“There is a place in the north of Cabo Delgado and north of Nampula where they had their own command and the government had no way of controlling them, because they used the Naparamas to fight Renamo,” Mbilana recalls.

Currently, enemies of the government

Social injustice and bad governance have caused them to rise like the Phoenix from the ashes, some 33 years later. Their former ally is now their new enemy. The Naparamas have joined the thousands of citizens who, in recent months, have rejected the Frelimo government.

They give those close to the regime no peace. Earlier this month, for example, a neighbourhood secretary was beheaded in the Morrumbala district of Zambézia.

Zito do Rosário, a journalist and activist based in the region, recounts a more recent incident attributed to the Naparamas.”Yesterday, in Morrumbala, there was tension in the Samora Machel neighbourhood, after the death of a former combatant called Boer. Morrumbala woke up to a charred body, which caused concern and commotion among the residents. The body was found in the courtyard of a school, […] completely charred and without any possibility of identification,” do Rosário recounts.

A popular force strengthened and protected by hidden powers would be the most appropriate description for these parallel popular troops. They show no sign of wavering, indeed quite the opposite.

Mbilana sees them as a kind of popular vigilante. “I can say with conviction that the Naparamas are a survival force for the populations, who are poor, who have nothing to eat, who don’t have everything that would be good for the citizen in a time of stability that no longer exists. It is a way of organizing the communities, especially in terms of security, to force the government to pay attention to the population,” he explains.

Myths and terrifying stories

They are a true myth. The stories about them attract attention and terrify everyone, including the Defence and Security Forces (FDS). Several videos show police officers, for example, literally frightened by the Naparamas’ rites.

“They have or had weapons and are imbued with a certain spiritualism, believing that the Naparamas are bullet-proof and cannot die,” academic João Mosca says regarding the mysticism surrounding the Naparamas.

“They even say that Manuel António, a Naparama commander killed in the civil war by Renamo, lost his bullet-proof qualities because he did not follow one of the rules that a witch had recommended to him. In short, these are stories, but they exist, and they are feared for their violent nature,” highlights Mosca.

The Naparamas operate mainly in Zambézia, Nampula and Cabo Delgado provinces. They are respected by the population, with whom they maintain a strong bond and to whom they provide information about their actions.

Regarding their origins, João Mosca explains that “the Naparamas are a paramilitary group based in Zambézia, particularly in Maganja da Costa. There is a book by José Capela called ‘A república militar da Maganja da Costa, 1862-1898’ that mentions this.”

But there are also those who believe that today’s Naparamas are inauthentic – that they are simply taking advantage of the political crisis to gain influence. In any case, their modus operandi, based on supernatural beliefs and the unpredictability of their brutal actions, puts them one step ahead in the fight against the regular forces. Who will be the defeated in this battle?

Source: Deutsche Welle