From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:MOZAMBIQUE: RENAMO SWAPS GUNS FOR BRIEFCASES IN NEW CAMPAIGN
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 22:23:04 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: MOZAMBIQUE: RENAMO SWAPS GUNS FOR BRIEFCASES IN NEW CAMPAIGN


maputo, dec 26 (ips/gil lauriciano) -- the mozambican national
resistance (renamo) this week began exchanging battle fatigues
for business suits as the former rebels movement starts its
political campaign.

the arrival tuesday in the capital maputo of renamo general
secretary vicente ululu, is seen as another step forward in
the u.n. supervised peace process for this ex-portguese colony
after 17 years of civil war.

''i came to maputo to open the headquarters for our party and
as soon as conditions allow, our president dlakama will come to
maputo'', said ululu.

last week, the government of president joaquim chissano
formally handed over a house intended for renamo leader afonso
dlakama, and said ''if dlakama wants to come and spend christmas
here (in maputo), he's welcome''.

ululu (43), was a member of the liberation front of
mozambique (frelimo), the ruling party which led the nation to
independence in 1975. after a period of exile in kenya, ululu
joined renamo in 1982.

seen in diplomatic circles as the ''only politician'' within
the guerrilla group, whose leadership is dominated by ndaus (an
ethnic group from central mozambique), ululu is the first
non-ndau member to occupy such high position in renamo.

for the first time here, renamo supporters came out on the
street bearing banners and photographs of dlakama, and allowing
themselves to be photographed by journalists who flocked to
maputo to see ululu's arrival.

''i've come to welcome our general secretary and i'm very
happy. renamo has brought democracy and peace'', said 21 year
old bento domingos, a student at the industrial institute of
maputo and member of dlakama's movement since 1990.

renamo, backed by south africa, conducted one of the most
brutal and destabalising guerrilla wars in african history.

the u.n. estimates the war caused the death of around one
million people as well as transforming the country into the
world's poorest, where 65 per cent of its estimated 15.6 million
population live in ''absolute poverty''. (more/ips)


mozambique: renamo (2)

meanwhile in statements to the press, ululu said that
''renamo will open access to zones under its control allowing
other political parties to carry out their political
activities''.

several emergent political parties in the country have
accused renamo of not allowing other political groups to
campaign in territory under its control.

according to renamo's general secretary, renamo became a
political party when the peace accord was signed on oct. 4 in
rome, italy by chissano and dlakama.

asked about the fist activities his political party would
carry out, ululu said his group intends to open delegations in
the provincial capitals, hold public rallies and ''prepare
ourselves, for our objective is winning elections''.

ululu said they ''welcomed'' support from former prime
minister of rhodesia (now zimbabwe), ian smith, who promised
backing for renamo's campaign in the first multiparty elections
in the history of this southern african nation, planned for
october 1993.

renamo was created by the rhodesian secret service as an
instrument of revenge against frelimo which provided bases for
the zimbabwean liberation movement. at zimbabwe's independence
in 1980, renamo was inherited by south african military
intelligence. (end/ips/gl/rw/oa/92)