‘Renamo must be disarmed’

LUANDA.- Mozambicans resident in Angola on Sunday asked President Filipe Nyusi to instruct his government to use all means in its power to disarm the militia of the former rebel movement Renamo.

Speaking at a meeting with Nyusi, shortly after his arrival in Luanda for a state visit, a representative of the Mozambican community, Tomas Chirindza, stressed that the existence of armed groups cannot be tolerated in Mozambique, and they must be disarmed.

Disarmament first, dialogue later, insisted Chirindza – since those who have guns in their hands will always tend to use them for blackmail, as has repeatedly happened in previous attempts to talk to Renamo.

“Conflicts are not solved merely with negotiations,” he said.

“We must be serious about what we are doing. While the government accepts blackmail, it will be weakened. This shows that in Mozambique there is still a deficit of knowledge about what democracy is”.

Another participant in the meeting, Adriano Sambo, backed up Chirindza, arguing that those who violate the norms must be punished without mercy.

Asked by Nyusi to respond to these concerns, Interior Minister Jaime Monteiro said the government is committed to ensuring compliance with the laws, and those who are in illegal possession of firearms will be held responsible for their actions.

“Guns should be in the hands of the authorities”, he stressed.

Addressing the meeting, Nyusi said that Mozambique is stable and its institutions are functioning normally, although there are always signs of disturbances. – AIM.