Africa-Press – Mozambique. The leader of Mozambique’s former rebel movement Renamo, Ossufo Momade, reappeared in public on Wednesday to open a meeting in Maputo of the association of Renamo military veterans (ACOLDE).
Momade had not shown his face in public for months, while a severe crisis gripped Renamo. Men claiming to be demobilised Renamo guerrillas shut down Renamo offices all over the country, demanding that Momade resign. They blamed Momade for Renamo’s poor showing in last year’s general elections, when Renamo lost its position as the leading force in the parliamentary opposition.
In all previous elections, Renamo had come second, behind the ruling Frelimo Party. But this time, it slipped to third position, behind both Frelimo and the Party of Optimists for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos).
The revolt against Momade’s leadership culminated in a group of men, who claimed to be former guerrillas, occupying the Renamo Maputo headquarters and Momade’s own office. This led the leadership to call on assistance from the riot police (UIR), which drove the demobilised fighters out of the Renamo offices.
In this dispute, the Renamo leadership was on strong legal ground. Momade was elected President of Renamo at two party congresses, in 2019 and 2024. His opponents have no such democratic legitimacy.
Last week, the Renamo parliamentary group came out unanimously in support of Momade, even though several Renamo deputies are known to be deeply unhappy with his leadership.
Opening the ACOLDE meeting, Momade called on Renamo members to establish “platforms for internal dialogue”, to build consensus and overcome the current tensions.
“Renamo has always been a party of dialogue”, he claimed. “Our statutes enshrine structures such as the Women’s League, the Youth League and ACOLDE as special organisations that are essential for the vitality of the Party. We set up these platforms to promote constructive internal dialogue”.
Momade urged the demobilised guerrillas to use ACOLDE as an arena where they could discuss ideas that strengthen the unity of the party and its historic mission. “Our political adversaries are not our companions in the party. They are those who, at all costs, are trying to stop us from achieving our mission of governing Mozambique”.
He also expressed his concern at the alleged marginalisation of the former Renamo guerrillas during the Demobilisation, Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR) process. The DDR is a key part of the peace agreement signed between Momade and the then President, Filipe Nyusi, in August 2019. Under the DDR, 5,221 former guerrillas were demobilised, and returned to civilian life.
Momade pointed out the DDR began before he became Renamo leader. He said his leadership had simply continued the agreements reached between Renamo and the government, and made no changes in the teams set up by his predecessor, the late Afonso Dhlakama.
“We have done everything to guarantee that the demobilised fighters gained access to pensions and to income-generating projects”, he declared.
He admitted that it remains a challenge to ensure that all the demobilised receive their pensions. But he blamed any difficulties on the government.
“Renamo and its President are not responsible for fixing or for paying pensions”, he said. “It is up to the State, through the Government, to comply with this obligation”.
Momade also claimed that foreign donors have not complied with their promises to pay for the DDR.
ACOLDE representative, Domingos Gundana, called for the spirit of fraternity and calm debate between Renamo members. He stressed the importance of finding “constructive solutions” to strengthen the party.
“The Party President (i.e. Momade) has been able to manage the challenges with a spirit of internal peace”, said Gundana. “We saw Renamo generals trying to enter into dialogue with our brothers camped out at the party headquarters, but without success. We need to talk as brothers, as former companions in the trenches, with respect and without accusations, so that we can all leave this meeting with a consensus”.
Elias Dhlakama, the younger brother of Afonso Dhlakama, cited in Thursday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Mediafax”, warned that Renamo is going through “one of the most delicate moments in its history”.
He noted that other large parties had disappeared in Africa and Renamo would have the same fate “if we want to play around. Renamo could pass into history, and we would not like that to happen”.
Dhlakama, who challenged Momade for the leadership unsuccessfully in the last two party congresses, doubted whether the ACOLDE meeting could help solve Renamo’s internal crisis. “From the speeches I have heard, I don’t expect anything. They’re not bringing anything new”, he said.
He blamed the Party leadership for “opening the door so that the enemy could enter and instal itself in in the party’s national headquarters”, referring to the riot police expelling the demobilised from the headquarters.
Dhlakama believed this had given the police the opportunity to rifle through Renamo documents and seize anything confidential.
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