Mozambican opposition leader living in hotel months after peace deal

Mozambique's main opposition party leader Ossufo Momade is still living in an hotel, despite the signing of peace accord between the government and his group Renamo, in August last year.

Mr Momade left Gorongosa hills soon after party founder Afonso Dhlakama’s death on May 3, 2018 and headed for the hotel.

It was expected that he would leave the resort soon after the peace deal.

“He lives in a tourist resort here in Maputo”, Renamo’s spokesperson, Mr José Manteigas, confirmed Tuesday.

The international community pays his expanses, the official said without specifying names and amounts.

SECURITY

Mr Manteigas noted that the hotel stay was not his leader’s choice, suggesting some sort of trust deficit on his security situation.

“The peace deal was the result of negotiations supported by mediators from the international community. Parties of the negotiation deliberated that he would stay in the hotel until adequate security conditions are met.”

Though this is reportedly part of the peace deal, it had never been revealed.

In fact, as a de facto opposition leader in the country, Mr Momade would technically be provided with privileges such as body guards.

Yet Mr Manteigas says a previous attempt in October 2016, when Mr Dhlakama house was besieged by government security forces, scares the current leader.

“The peace accord was inked but people are not safe,” he added.

THE ELECTION

Mr Momade, 59, took over the opposition party’s reigns in January 2019 after Mr Dhlakama died.

Reports indicated that his predecessor succumbed to a heart attack but this was not confirmed.

In October last year, Mr Momade whose party is known in full as the Mozambican National Resistance, lost the election to incumbent President Filipe Nyusi’s, Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo).

Renamo disputed the results with some NGOs and observers claiming the numbers were manipulated.

FRELIMO'S RULE

Frelimo has ruled the country since it attained independence from Portugal in 1975.

Renamo fought a 16-year guerrilla war against the ruling party until 1992 and then emerged as an opposition party that retained armed fighters.

Like his predecessor, Mr Momade, a guerrilla leader during the civil war, lived in remote Gorongosa.

Clashes erupted again from 2013 to 2016, forcing him into hiding in the remote Gorongosa mountains in the centre of the country.

He later held meetings with President Nyusi to discuss disarmament and reintegration after earlier agreeing on constitutional reforms that would decentralise power.

He has been a member of Parliament since 1999 and served as the party secretary general between 2007 and 2012.