From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: MOZAMBIQUE: VETERANS' DEMONSTRATION
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 00:27:48 GMT

Reference: Europe, western
Title: MOZAMBIQUE: VETERANS' DEMONSTRATIONS RAISE TENSION


maputo, sep 1 (ips/basilio langa) -- stability remains elusive
in mozambique despite last month's peace meeting between
president joaquim chissano and leader of the mozambique national
resistance (renamo), afonso dhlakama.

the four days of talks in rome, italy, led to the signing of
a joint declaration on aug. 7, envisaging an end to hostilities
by october after 17-years of war.

but with each passing day, crisis deepens for the government
with a string of mutinies by soldiers, and demonstrations --
sometimes violent -- by former combatants of the country's
10-year independence war.

with peace in the offing, a damn has broken and the
depth of discontent is now manifest as soldiers, veterans,
war-wounded and demobilised troops press for higher wages or
backpay long in arrears from a government that is broke.

on aug. 11, hundreds of veterans and war-wounded blocked the
economically strategic south africa-swaziland road demanding
increased pensions and benefits.

with a ceasefire close after a brutal civil war in one of the
world's poorest countries, ''we want our problems resolved
before dhlakama arrives here'', declared one of the protestors.

the blockade ended 24 hours later when police dispersed the
protestors by opening fire, killing one of the war-wounded and
injuring two others.

the dead protestor's body was taken to the city morgue. but
angry colleagues removed it and deposited it at the offices of
the central committee of the ruling frelimo party.

the veterans accuse the frelimo leadership of forgetting
their old comrades from the independence war against portugal
and excluding them from the benefits of frelimo rule.

''this is a stupid government'', cried one of the
war-wounded, tears in his eyes, when interviewed by mozambique
television. ''they (frelimo) repress us when we demand our
rights''.

''i'm living like a beggar, and i shall die as one'', said a
protestor, showing reporters his artificial limb. ''look, i lost
my leg, and now i don't know why i fought''. (more/ips)


mozambique: veterans' (2)

the pensions paid by the government to the veterans and
war-wounded range from 5,000 to 18,000 meticais (two to seven
dollars) a month. the minimum industrial wage is currently
40,000 meticais (15 dollars) a month.

other groups of veterans demonstrated in the central
provinces of manica and zambezia, with reports of serious
discontent among veterans in the northern city of nampula.

in quelimane, the zambezia provincial capital, a unit of
veterans took over the water treatment and pumping station aug.
25 and cut off water supply to the city.

the unit had already given an ultimatum to the provincial
government, demanding 11 months in back wages, and access to
bank credit.

the veterans also threatened to prevent the distribution of
food aid, which is landed at quelimane port, to districts in the
interior of zambezia in a country also suffering from a severe
drought.

last week, the veterans in manica province, bordering
zimbabwe, occupied an electricity sub-station and cut off power
to the capital, chimoio.

a group of soldiers, demanding their pay areas, also briefly
blockaded the main road from beira port to zimbabwe, which runs
through the middle of manica.

the mutinees began at the end of july a few days before
chissano left for rome, when a commando unit trained by british
instructors in zimbabwe, blocked the country's main north-south
road, about 80 kms north of here, demanding three months' back
pay.

about 150 soldiers from the maputo garrison, stationed on the
road, 22 km north of maputo, joined the revolt, saying they had
not been paid for nine months.

the july mutinies ended when the defence ministry paid the
mutineers their back wages. the fact that no disciplinary action
was taken against the soldiers demonstrated the government's
nervousness, but appears to have encouraged other soldiers and
veterans to follow suit. (end/ips/bl/pf/apc/0a/92)



-- 
Mr. Aaron Barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us -- posting from Evanston, Illinois
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african