The ruling party in Mozambique, FRELIMO,has today accused the main opposition party leader Mr Dhlakama of having a terrorist stance, saying that the greatest political formation of opposition is financed by an external source that is bent on destabilizing Mozambique.
"Mr. Dhlakama continues to assume the posture of a terrorist man who has'nt human feeling and is an enemy of peace and development," said Mr Damião José, spokesman of the Frelimo party (Mozambique Liberation Front), during a press conference in Maputo,the capital.
Inviting Mozambicans to an "an honest examination of the history of Renamo" (Mozambican National Resistance) in the country, as a movement that "made the people of Mozambique suffer for 16 years," Damião José said that Afonso Dhlakama’s party is being financed by an external hand, which he did not identify but which he accuses of having an agenda that undermines the interests of the Mozambican people.
"The conditions that Renamo has been showing off – a new car fleet, new equipment, new ordnance - show that in reality Renamo does have its bosses," advocated Frelimo’s spokesman, reiterating that the main interest of these sponsors is to delay the country's development.
The spokesman to the party in power in Mozambique for 40 years noted that the leader of Renamo continues to "assert himself as an enemy of the people" and of a democratic rule of law, inviting Dhlakama to look into his conscience and forget his "beyond measure ambition for power."
"The Mozambican people in 1992 [the year of the signing of the Peace Accords] even with tears, received Mr. Afonso Dhlakama confident that he would be a man useful to society and would never again be an instrument of war, something that did not happen, " said Damião José.
Asked about the massive influx of people to rallies conducted by the Renamo leader in central and northern Mozambique, the Frelimo spokesman said that the crowds are due to the curiosity of the people, pointing out that “if one one day the Devil's presence in a certain soccer stadium is announced, people will flock in droves. "
On Thursday, Renamo announced the installation of military headquarters in Morrumbala, Zambezia province, to train the army and police, and ensure the protection of the population in the centre and north of the country.
In his speech today, José Damião condemned Renamo’s positioning, saying that that local people are frightened by the pronouncements of Afonso Dhlakama’s Party, suffering alleged attacks by the party’s armed men, who are no longer able to make a livelihood in the woods.
"Mozambicans do not want to have anything else to do with the war, do not want to hear about more war," said Damião José, adding that the fact that the leader of Renamo recently refused the Mozambican President invitation to discuss issues related to peace proves that Afonso Dhlakama is "allergic to dialogue."
The largest Mozambican opposition force requires the creation of provincial authorities across the country and wants to rule the six regions where it claims election victory in last October's elections in Mozambique, threatening to seize power by force.
The country is experiencing a period of uncertainty due to the threats of Renamo and there are reports of confrontations in recent weeks in Tete province, central Mozambique, involving the army and the military opposition, which led an unknown number of people to flee region to neighbouring Malawi.
In 2013, the armed wing of Renamo blocked the main road connecting the centre to the north, leading to clashes between the Defence and Security Forces and Renamo which lasted for 17 months.
The clashes formally ceased on September 05 last year, with the signing of the Cessation of Military Hostilities Agreement between Afonso Dhlakama and then Mozambican President Armando Guebuza.
After many rounds of negotiations between the government and Renamo, the parties have not reached an agreement on the demilitarization of the armed wing of Renamo, one of the main clauses of the agreement signed a year ago. Afonso Dhlakama’s party recently publicly announced the termination of dialogue sessions, although the counterpart publicly lamented not having been formally notified of the decision.
