Africa-Press – Mozambique. Dozens of officers from the Mozambican police’s Rapid Intervention Unit fired shots and tear gas on Wednesday to end a protest by former Renamo guerrillas outside the opposition party’s headquarters.
The former guerrilla fighters, who accuse Ossufo Momade of being “incapable” of continuing to lead the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) and are demanding his resignation, are being removed from the party headquarters in Maputo and placed on buses.
The police also removed former Renamo guerrilla fighters who had occupied the party president’s office in another building today.
“We want the party to halt its activities because, if we continue like this, we are heading for disaster. With President Ossufo Momade’s leadership, we will get nowhere. And this is why we, the former Renamo guerrillas, want him to resign,” Edgar Silva, spokesman for the group that today took over the party leader’s office in the centre of the capital, told Lusa.
Police reinforcements were already visible at the scene early in the morning, and the intervention to end the invasion of the building eventually took place.
Former Renamo guerrillas had already occupied the national headquarters a few dozen metres away earlier this month, where they have remained since, spreading photographs and posters of the historic founding leader, Afonso Dhlakama (1953-2018) outside, with the same demand.
“We simply believe that the president is incapable of leading this party. If he is incapable, he should step aside and allow other members to take the helm of this party. Because we will not reach a safe harbour this way,” insisted Edgar Silva, a former Renamo guerrilla fighter in the northern province of Nampula.
Renamo’s leadership has called for respect for the party’s bodies, asking that the differences, which are leading former guerrilla fighters to occupy facilities across the country, be resolved internally.
Ossufo Momade, whose leadership had previously been questioned, took over as Renamo president in January 2019 following the death of Afonso Dhlakama and was re-elected to the post in May 2024, a process that was strongly contested internally.
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