From: Pedro.Buccellato@p0.f20.n7101.z5.fidonet.org (Pedro Buccellato)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Renamo
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 20:20:00 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 5:7101/20.0 - Unisa Editorial, Pretoria

                     "Understanding Mozambique"
---------------------------------------------------------------------
                             * RENAMO *
                  Resistencia Nacional Mocambicana
                  (Mozambican National Resistance)

Introduction
------------

Renamo is  a much misunderstood organisation  with a reputation second
only to Hitler's  Nazis, yet nothing could be  further from the truth.
In this series of articles I hope  to shed some light on the matter.

Renamo  is  a  Resistance  Movement  -  not  a  political party, not a
liberation movement and certainly not a band of mindless murderers. It
came  into existence  as a  a natural  opposition force, following the
imposition of Stalinist measures on the rural Mozambican population by
the ruling regime FRELIMO. Renamo is a Rural Movement - the same force
that faced the  Portuguese colonists in the 1500's  and the same force
which  stopped Portuguese  influence  and  ideals from  permeating the
greater part  of Mozambique: although  under Portuguese administration
for five  hundred years the  country retained its  traditional African
ethic and lifestyle outside the urban areas until 1976.

As an  African Rural Movement,  Renamo was not  particularly concerned
with internationalism or  foreign relations - it has  never operated a
propaganda  machine of  any significance  outside the  country itself.
This can be attributed to the following factors:

   1. Renamo  is  a  traditional  African  movement  with  no concerns
      outside their  opposition to African  Stalinist/Marxist measures
      being imposed on their tribal societies.

   2. Mozambique  is the poorest  country in the  world - Mozambique's
      rural  population   has  never  had  the   resources  to  combat
      oppression at a sophisticated  internalionalised level (like the
      ANC in SA).

   3. Renamo undermined capitalist and communist operations alike, and
      hence  had to  compete  with  the most  sophisticated propaganda
      machines in the world: those of the Super Powers.

The  name Renamo  came into  existence after  1984. Prior  to that the
various  tribal and  external movements   which made  up the  Force of
Resistance   was   known   collectively   as   "Resistencia   Nacional
Mocambicana" or MNR, as the Rhodesians called it.

The first  successful attempt at unifying  these warring factions came
after  the  Nkomati  Accord  of  1984.  Dr.  Evo  Fernandes,  the then
Secretary General, made  the first concerted effort to  break the grip
that the South  African Defence Force had on the  strongest of all the
Resistance groups - the Unit sponsored by  the SADF, of which he was a
part.

Efforts to unite the Mozambican Resistance factions prior to 1984 were
thwarted by the SADF - several military elements of the SADF sponsored
MNR were assassinated between 1980 and 1984 to stop the development of
a Political Programme which had  been proposed by Mozambican political
figures in exile in South Africa and Portugal.

Dr. Evo  Fernandes began instituting a  programme for "liberation from
South  Africa"  in  1985  from  his  Centre  of  Studies in Lisbon. He
developed  a double-agenda  which resulted  in his  assassination some
three years later. Outwardly he attempted to fulfill SADF objectives -
to  destabilise Mozambique  and Zimbabwe,  in return  for military and
logistic support from  South Africa. The hidden agenda  called for the
development  of a  clear and  precise Political  Programme which could
gain the approval of Western  Nations and lead to Democratic Elections
through a Peace initiative free from South African intervention.

Accordingly, the  "intellectuals" in Lisbon developed  a Programme and
set  out to  gain European   and American  support for  United Nations
intervention in the Civil War and  the implementation of a cease fire.
The  Americans  rejected  the  initiative  -  mostly  due  to  Chester
Crocker's poor judgement and simplistic view of African Affairs.

The  "new"  post-Nkomati  Renamo  did  find  support  in  Europe; from
Portugal,  West Germany,  Italy and  most importantly  - the  Vatican.
Britain  continued to  supply military  and financial  support to  the
FRELIMO  regime in  order to  protect British  financial interests  in
Mozambique; the Beira Corridor in particular.

Dr.  Fernandes'   initiative  was  successful  but   resulted  in  his
assassination. He  had become too  powerful and threatened  Pretoria's
control of Renamo: so they killed him.

His killer, a character by the name of Chagas (from Johannesburg), was
apprehended, jailed  and sentenced in  Lisbon - after  being extradited
from Morocco.  In his confession he  claimed to be part  of a combined
operation  by SADF  MI  (Military  Intelligence) and  SNASP, FRELIMO's
secret police!  How so? He  claims that FRELIMO's  security police has
been infiltrated by South African agents to the highest level.

Four years after Dr.Fernandes'  death Renamo has achieved independence
from South  Africa. Today's Renamo,  is openly anti-South  African and
although it is still strongly  infiltrated by South African agents, it
follows an agenda  of its own. After years  of subjugation, Renamo has
turned on its Master.

In  these articles  I have  only one  objective; to  bring the outside
world closer to  Mozambique, by understanding its People  and its War.
It is not my intention to  dwell on "blame" or responsibility for what
has taken place  over the last 18 years. Any  Mozambican will tell you
that such things matter little now: it is the future that concerns us.

Violence, aggression and oppression are not unique to Mozambique: they
are unique  to the Human  Race. As I  write these words  I hear on the
news  that  Angola's  MPLA  government  executed  thousands  of  Unita
supporters in cold blood - only  last month, and after so-called Demo-
cratic elections. In Europe the old Yugoslavia is a showpiece of Man's
ability to indulge in barbarism and savagery.

Next Week: The Resistance (Mozambique 1976-1980)
           Events  and  factors  which  led  to  violent opposition to
           Marxist policies imposed on the Mozambican People.

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