- Ossufo Momade visited and ordered the reopening of Renamo’s Maputo provincial office shortly after it was shut down by disgruntled ex-guerrillas
By Noémia Mendes
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – The conflict between former Renamo guerrilla fighters and the party’s leader, Ossufo Momade, is escalating. On Monday, Renamo released a video on social media showing Momade ordering the reopening of the party’s Maputo provincial office, shortly after it had been forcibly closed by former guerrillas dissatisfied with his leadership.
The party president visited the office, located in the municipality of Matola, in one of his rare recent public appearances. At the site, he declared: “We will not allow this to happen again. I want to see who dares to shut down our offices,” speaking to a small delegation of about ten supporters.
Meanwhile, Samuel Faustino, a representative of the former Renamo guerrillas, stated earlier that same morning, during the closure of the Maputo provincial office, that the group plans to shut down all party offices nationwide. “As of today, the 21st, we can shut down all the national offices,” he said, accusing the current leadership of betraying the ideals of the Mozambican National Resistance. According to Faustino, there is widespread dissatisfaction with Momade’s leadership and growing calls for an extraordinary congress.
The former guerrillas had already announced, on Monday, 14 July, in Maputo, a new wave of protests against Momade’s leadership, including the closure of party offices across the country. They are demanding the urgent convening of the National Council to discuss replacing the current party president. (NM)
