Mozambican National Resistance
Encyclopedia
The Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO; ) is a conservative political party
in Mozambique
led by Afonso Dhlakama
. It fought against the FRELIMO in the Mozambican Civil War
and against the ZANU movement led by Robert Mugabe
from 1975 to 1992.
RENAMO was founded in 1975 following Mozambique's independence as an anti-Communist political organization, sponsored by the Central Intelligence Organisation of Rhodesia
. André Matsangaissa
, an ex-FRELIMO army commander, was its first leader. The Ian Smith
administration in Rhodesia sought to prevent the FRELIMO government from providing a safe haven for Zimbabwe African National Union
militants seeking to overthrow the Rhodesian government. Matsangaissa was killed by government soldiers on 17 October 1979 in Sofala Province
. Following a violent succession struggle, Afonso Dhlakama
became the new RENAMO leader. During the Mozambican Civil War of the 1980s, RENAMO also received support from South Africa
. In the United States, the CIA
and conservative lobbying for support to RENAMO, which was strongly resisted by the State Department which would "not recognize or negotiate with RENAMO", convinced President Ronald Reagan
and the Congress to support FRELIMO. The British government under Margaret Thatcher did not view the civil war in Mozambique as a part of the Cold War
in the extent that could have been thought and when FRELIMO closed the border to Rhodesia it was in fit well with British interests against the rebel colony while the Rhodesian government supported RENAMO.
FRELIMO also forced Mugabe to accept the Lancaster House Agreement for the end to the war in Rhodesia.
near Dukosa on June 17, 1987, killing seven soldiers and wounding 19. RENAMO attacked the Katigo Tea Estate, destroying valuable property, in July and killed three men in Rushinga in August.
On November 30, RENAMO militants burned down 13 houses.
Between December 1987 and January 21, 1988 RENAMO performed 101 attacks near the Mozambique-Zimbabwe border.
, in which South Africa agreed to stop sponsoring RENAMO if the Mozambican government expelled exiled members of the African National Congress
residing there. This was consistent with the Total National Strategy then in existence whereby the carrot of infrastructural development projects would be offered as an inducement for cooperation, supported by the stick of military reprisal if guerillas of the ANC were still given succour. However, the Mozambican government did not expel the exiled members of the ANC and consequently the South African government continued funneling financial and military resources until a permanent peace accord
was reached in 1992 and was supervised by the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) until 1994. In order to nudge this process in the right direction a special operation was launched by the National Intelligence Service called Operation Bush Talk, which was designed to permanently end the civil war in Mozambique in order to stem the flow of military materiel across the porous borders into South Africa. One manifestation of this was the militia of the Inkatha Freedom Party
(IFP) that was being trained and armed by the SADF Special Forces as part of Operation Marion
which were being armed by weapons coming from Mozambique.
The peace accord led to the disarmament of RENAMO, to the integration of some of its fighters into the Mozambican army and to its transformation into a regular political party. It is now the main opposition party in Mozambique. At the last legislative elections
, 1 and 2 December 2004 , the party was the main part of the Renamo-UE
electoral alliance, that won 29.7 % of the popular vote and 90 out of 250 seats. The presidential candidate of this alliance, Afonso Dhlakama
, won 31.7 % of the popular vote.
Raul Domingos
, negotiator at the Rome General Peace Accords
and RENAMO's leader in parliament from 1994–1999, was expelled from the party in 2000, and in 2003, founded the Party for Peace, Democracy, and Development
.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
led by Afonso Dhlakama
Afonso Dhlakama
Afonso Marceta Macacho Dhlakama is a Mozambican politician and the leader of RENAMO, an anti-communist guerrilla organization that fought the FRELIMO government in the Mozambican Civil War before signing a peace agreement and becoming an opposition political party in the early 1990s.Dhlakama was...
. It fought against the FRELIMO in the Mozambican Civil War
Mozambican Civil War
The Mozambican Civil War began in 1977, two years after the end of the war of independence. The ruling party, Front for Liberation of Mozambique , was violently opposed from 1977 by the Rhodesian- and South African-funded Mozambique Resistance Movement...
and against the ZANU movement led by Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
from 1975 to 1992.
RENAMO was founded in 1975 following Mozambique's independence as an anti-Communist political organization, sponsored by the Central Intelligence Organisation of Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
. André Matsangaissa
André Matsangaissa
André Matade Matsangaissa was a Mozambican anti-communist rebel and the first leader of the Rhodesian-backed Mozambican National Resistance ....
, an ex-FRELIMO army commander, was its first leader. The Ian Smith
Ian Smith
Ian Douglas Smith GCLM ID was a politician active in the government of Southern Rhodesia, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe Rhodesia and Zimbabwe from 1948 to 1987, most notably serving as Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 13 April 1964 to 1 June 1979...
administration in Rhodesia sought to prevent the FRELIMO government from providing a safe haven for Zimbabwe African National Union
Zimbabwe African National Union
The Zimbabwe African National Union was a militant organization that fought against the standing government in Rhodesia, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union...
militants seeking to overthrow the Rhodesian government. Matsangaissa was killed by government soldiers on 17 October 1979 in Sofala Province
Sofala Province
Sofala is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 68,018 km² and a population of 1.676.131 . Beira is the capital of the province. The province is named for the ruined port of Sofala.- Districts :Districts of Sofala Province include:...
. Following a violent succession struggle, Afonso Dhlakama
Afonso Dhlakama
Afonso Marceta Macacho Dhlakama is a Mozambican politician and the leader of RENAMO, an anti-communist guerrilla organization that fought the FRELIMO government in the Mozambican Civil War before signing a peace agreement and becoming an opposition political party in the early 1990s.Dhlakama was...
became the new RENAMO leader. During the Mozambican Civil War of the 1980s, RENAMO also received support from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. In the United States, the CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
and conservative lobbying for support to RENAMO, which was strongly resisted by the State Department which would "not recognize or negotiate with RENAMO", convinced President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and the Congress to support FRELIMO. The British government under Margaret Thatcher did not view the civil war in Mozambique as a part of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
in the extent that could have been thought and when FRELIMO closed the border to Rhodesia it was in fit well with British interests against the rebel colony while the Rhodesian government supported RENAMO.
FRELIMO also forced Mugabe to accept the Lancaster House Agreement for the end to the war in Rhodesia.
Zimbabwe
RENAMO forces attacked an army base in ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
near Dukosa on June 17, 1987, killing seven soldiers and wounding 19. RENAMO attacked the Katigo Tea Estate, destroying valuable property, in July and killed three men in Rushinga in August.
On November 30, RENAMO militants burned down 13 houses.
Between December 1987 and January 21, 1988 RENAMO performed 101 attacks near the Mozambique-Zimbabwe border.
South Africa
In 1984 the South African and Mozambican governments signed the Nkomati AccordNkomati Accord
The Nkomati Accord was a non-aggression pact signed on 16 March 1984 between the government of the People's Republic of Mozambique and the government of the Republic of South Africa. The event took place at the South African town of Komatipoort with the signatories being Samora Machel and PW Botha...
, in which South Africa agreed to stop sponsoring RENAMO if the Mozambican government expelled exiled members of the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
residing there. This was consistent with the Total National Strategy then in existence whereby the carrot of infrastructural development projects would be offered as an inducement for cooperation, supported by the stick of military reprisal if guerillas of the ANC were still given succour. However, the Mozambican government did not expel the exiled members of the ANC and consequently the South African government continued funneling financial and military resources until a permanent peace accord
Rome General Peace Accords
The Rome General Peace Accords between the Mozambican Civil War parties, the Frelimo and the Renamo , put an end to the Mozambique Civil War. It was signed on October 4, 1992. Negotiations preceding in began in July 1990...
was reached in 1992 and was supervised by the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) until 1994. In order to nudge this process in the right direction a special operation was launched by the National Intelligence Service called Operation Bush Talk, which was designed to permanently end the civil war in Mozambique in order to stem the flow of military materiel across the porous borders into South Africa. One manifestation of this was the militia of the Inkatha Freedom Party
Inkatha Freedom Party
The Inkatha Freedom Party is a political party in South Africa. Since its founding, it has been led by Mangosuthu Buthelezi. It is currently the fourth largest party in the National Assembly of South Africa.-History:...
(IFP) that was being trained and armed by the SADF Special Forces as part of Operation Marion
Operation Marion
Operation Marion was a military operation by the South African Defence Force during the South African Border War. The origins can be traced back to the murder of Piet Retief on 6 February 1838 by the Zulu king Dingane, which led to an alliance between the Boer people and the Zulu's, whereby...
which were being armed by weapons coming from Mozambique.
The peace accord led to the disarmament of RENAMO, to the integration of some of its fighters into the Mozambican army and to its transformation into a regular political party. It is now the main opposition party in Mozambique. At the last legislative elections
Elections in Mozambique
Elections in Mozambique gives information on election and election results in Mozambique.Mozambique elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a five year term by the people...
, 1 and 2 December 2004 , the party was the main part of the Renamo-UE
Renamo-UE
The RENAMO-Electoral Union is an alliance of political parties in Mozambique, led by the Mozambican National Resistance of Afonso Dhlakama....
electoral alliance, that won 29.7 % of the popular vote and 90 out of 250 seats. The presidential candidate of this alliance, Afonso Dhlakama
Afonso Dhlakama
Afonso Marceta Macacho Dhlakama is a Mozambican politician and the leader of RENAMO, an anti-communist guerrilla organization that fought the FRELIMO government in the Mozambican Civil War before signing a peace agreement and becoming an opposition political party in the early 1990s.Dhlakama was...
, won 31.7 % of the popular vote.
Raul Domingos
Raul Domingos
Raul Domingos is a Mozambican politician who was part of RENAMO until being thrown out on 7 July 2000. At the time, he had been considered the most likely successor to party leader Afonso Dhlakama. From 1994 to 1999, Domingos was head of the Renamo parliamentary group...
, negotiator at the Rome General Peace Accords
Rome General Peace Accords
The Rome General Peace Accords between the Mozambican Civil War parties, the Frelimo and the Renamo , put an end to the Mozambique Civil War. It was signed on October 4, 1992. Negotiations preceding in began in July 1990...
and RENAMO's leader in parliament from 1994–1999, was expelled from the party in 2000, and in 2003, founded the Party for Peace, Democracy, and Development
Party for Peace, Democracy, and Development
The Party for Peace, Democracy, and Development is a political party in Mozambique.At the last legislative elections, 1 and 2 December 2004, the party won 2.0% of the popular vote and no seats. Its presidential candidate, Raul Domingos, won 2.7% of the popular vote....
.