The General Secretary of
Mozambique's former rebel movement Renamo, Manuel Bissopo, declared in Maputo
on Monday that Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama is alive and well. Addressing a
press conference, Bissopo said that he had been with Dhlakama when the armed
forces (FADM) occupied the Renamo bush headquarters at Satunjira, in the
central district of Gorongosa, on 21 October. Dhlakama had left Satunjira on
foot, he added, to avoid casualties.
In the FADM shelling, the head of
Renamo mobilization, Armindo Milaco, was hit by shrapnel, and died of his
wounds, Bissopo said. Milaco is the only confirmed casualty of the capture of
Satunjira. Bissopo said the last time he spoke to Dhlakama was seven days ago.
He did not reveal Dhlakama's whereabouts, but said the Renamo leader had not
left the country. He added that Dhlakama “will shortly speak to the people”
through the media.
Bissopo said that Dhlakama will
only meet with President Armando Guebuza if his security is guaranteed by
foreign forces. He suggested that United Nations “blue helmets”, or any other
foreign force not under the influence of the Mozambican government, could be
used to protect Dhlakama.
If this is a condition that
Dhlakama himself has imposed, then it means that there will be no meeting at
all in the foreseeable future, since the Mozambican government will not accept
the presence of foreign troops. Bissopo also demanded the withdrawal of all
government military forces from the Gorongosa area, a demand which the
government has repeatedly rejected.
Original article: http://allafrica.com/stories/201311260488.html
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