A Kenyan proverb that I think summarizes well the political conflict occurring in Mozambique.
On Tuesday, FREELIMO, the political group controlling the government in Mozambique surrounded a RENAMO (another political party) base in the Gorongosa Mountains (Satinjura) in Sofala Province. This siege resulted in RENAMO fleeing to another town, Maringue, where the RENAMO soldiers successfully took control of the local police station. RENAMO claims FREELIMO was attempting to not just take their base, but also assassinate their leader, Afonso Dhlakama. RENAMO then announced later that day, that they were officially ending the Peace Accord signed 21 years ago that ended the Mozambican Civil War (1975-1992).
Renamo spokesman, Fernando Mazanga, told Reuters news agency, "Peace is over in the country... The responsibility lies with the Frelimo government because they didn't want to listen to Renamo's grievances,”
Unfortunately this was not the first instance of political violence to occur this year. Tensions between the two groups have increased significantly since last year when Dhlakama left Maputo, and moved to Gorongosa to live with the supposed, couple hundred, RENAMO soldiers who were living at the base camp, in the mountains there in the. In April and July small skirmishes led to at least 11 civilian deaths. And since the raid on Tuesday there has been reports of violence in other towns in Sofala province (including a rumor that 3 civilians were killed in a random car attack by rebels). So although peace remains in most areas of the country the overall situation is tense and people are scared, and there is talk of the war.
Mozambique’s 17-year civil war resulted in over a million deaths, and although it ended two decades ago the results of the war are still clear in many communities. My students for example, are too young to have lived during their war, but many of the parents survived the years of conflict, and as a result were not educated. Entire communities exist today in areas that were ravaged by years of fighting; a friend of mine living in a small town in the north claims that his village did not exist until after the peace accord, and that today, people are still incredibly suspicious of outsiders because of their horrible experiences from frequent raids during the war.
I am not sure what will happen in Mozambique, most sources (international reporters, the US embassy and our PC staff) believe RENAMO is too weak to start another war; they lack foot soldiers and overall support throughout the country, but if they continue to provoke small-scale acts of violence, it is innocent civilians that continue to suffer. The fear they have evoked in communities in Sofala, such as Muxungue (where shootings took place a few months ago) or Maringue, (where soldiers took the police station) is real and people are suffering. This outlash from RENAMO is the result of months of failed/stalled peace talks, and years of feelings of exclusion from political power and benefits in Mozambique’s growing economy.
Like the Kenyan proverb summarizes so well; this conflict is the result of poltical tension between two groups in Mozambique, but the individuals who bear the brunt of suffering are innocent civilians. Mozambique is an incredibly poor country, it ranks 185 out of 187 countries on the Human Development Index, and although issues of corruption, HIV/AIDS and inequality are rampant here, the culture is incredibly welcoming and friendly, and in these past twelve months I have felt completely safe. I really hope that situation does not change. I also do not think that this violence will lead to a war, but violence is violence no matter how large or small the casualty pool is and I really hope that the country that I have come to call home, is able to find a way to peace.
Estamos juntos Mocambique!
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