Maputo, 27 Mar (AIM) – The leader of Mozambique’s former rebel movement Renamo, Ossufo Momade, has insisted that he will resign from the party leadership by the end of this year.
Speaking on Thursday, at a meeting of Renamo generals and other high-ranking officers in the central city of Chimoio, Momade declared, via the meeting’s spokesperson, Herminio Morais, that he will not be a candidate for the party’s presidency at the next Renamo congress, scheduled for later this year.
Morais, cited by the independent television station STV, told the meeting that Momade “has guaranteed that he will cease to lead the destiny of the party as from this year. Some other figure should arise to take over the leadership”.
“We heard this from his (Momade’s) own mouth”, Morais declared. “He reiterated that he is preparing his exit and is trying to ensure that his successor finds a stable environment inside Renamo”.
Momade was elected President of Renamo at a Congress held in 2019, and was re-elected at the party’s next Congress in 2024. Hence, contrary to the claims made by his opponents, Momade enjoys a certain democratic legitimacy. Nobody knows how much support his enemies inside Renamo enjoy.
Over the past year, dissidents have repeatedly disrupted Renamo, occupying provincial and local offices, and demanding the resignation of Momade.
The Chimoio meeting, Morais said, debated the internal state of Renamo. “This was an opportunity for us to reflect on the kind of Renamo we want. Everybody knows that the party has not been functioning properly. Some Renamo delegations are closed. However, through dialogue, we have achieved a consensus and strengthened the need for an environment of peace, bearing in mind the municipal elections of 2028 and the general elections of 2029”.
Morais claimed that all Renamo offices will now be re-opened. The meeting had strengthened internal consensus”, he claimed. “The Renamo family is united” and the priority “is to roll up our sleeves and work for the Mozambican people”.
(AIM)
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