MOZAMBIQUE: Opposition vows to continue protests
JOHANNESBURG, 10 November (IRIN) - A day after clashes between police and
demonstrators left at least 22 dead and more than 100 injured, opposition
leader Afonso Dhlakama told IRIN on Friday that after a temporary
suspension, protests would continue throughout Mozambique.
"The FRELIMO government has declared war on us. Yes we attacked the police,
but only after they opened fire on us," he said. Six policemen died in the
violence in the north and centre of the country.
State radio reported that President Joaquim Chissano blamed the opposition
for the killings. He said the deaths resulted when the police tried to
defend themselves from attacks by Renamo demonstrators. Denouncing Renamo's
behaviour as "barbaric, totally unacceptable and outside of the law",
Chissano said: "We saw that the aim of Renamo was to attack police posts,
apparently to seize guns, to occupy administrative buildings, and to assault
state officials."
The police said Renamo had called for the protests, but failed to notify the
authorities in advance about where the demonstrations would be held. They
said they used force to disperse the opposition protesters and in one
incident police were compelled to use live ammunition, a police spokesman
said. Three people were killed in Pemba, capital of Cabo Delgado, three in
Balama, also in Cabo Delgado, three in the town of Moma in Nampula province
and one in Nampula city, according to police. In Montepuez alone, 12 people
including the six policemen were killed.
Reporting from northern Montepuez, Radio Mozambique said former Renamo
guerrillas had freed prisoners from jail, tried to seize weapons and were
maintaining road blockades on Friday around the town's key crossroads.
Dhlakama told IRIN that: "Next time we demonstrate against the illegal
government of FRELIMO we will be better prepared and we would defend
ourselves. We want much more autonomy in the six provinces controlled by the
opposition. The government puts no money into our areas and diverts foreign
investment away from us."
The demonstrations were called to protest against the results of last
December's general elections. Although foreign observers said at the time
that the elections were free and fair, Renamo appealed to the Supreme Court
to declare the polls invalid because of alleged electoral fraud. The court
ruled in favour of the ruling FRELIMO party.
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