adminCollen Mharadzano
LAST week, all peace loving people and especially Mozambicans within that country’s borders and those resident outside had a scare as news, some accurate and some exaggerated started to filter that the formerly dissident group, Renamo, now the largest opposition in that country had threatened to ignite war as a way to gain political leverage.
The impact of war in that strategic nation and to the entire region will leave indelible scars socially, politically and economically. In whose interest would that said conflict be perpetuated and who will benefit from such a scourge?
A quick perusal at the statements attributed to Renamo and its leader Alfonso Dhlakama, would reveal a hidden agenda which is primarily election sloganeering with much inclination to political scheming than real bread and butter issues for the populace.
This is the tragedy of the so-called Third World politics which at most pursues narrow and parochial agendas at the expense of real issues bedeviling the societies. Instead of concentrating on cementing national cohesion, formulating and implementing pro-people policies which speak to the social and economic needs of the people, alas, the obsession is on trivial divisive agendas which only destroy the little gains accrued thus far since their independence.
After the collapse of the Cold War era which pitted the United States of America on one side and the then Soviet Union on the other, characterized by numerous proxy wars as the rival sides supported allied nations in numerous ‘hot wars’ in places like the Korean peninsula, Vietnam and Angola, the world expects and cry for eternal peace whose fruits are development nourished.
Of course, the aspects of new political giants in the global arena continue to emerge, but a closer analysis shows that all their interests are primarily to siphon resources and grow their home economies. There are the same forces which clandestinely foment wars which accentuate them economically.
As long as these wars are fought elsewhere, their economic interests are secured. The Third World has to wake up to this reality and then maneuver with this reality in mind.
The Mozambican conflict has had a devastating effect to the livelihoods of the people as it has virtually destroyed that nation’s economy especially the agricultural sector. It is sad to have signals of its renewal after the country had started to gain momentum economically, with all indications pointing to a prosperous future.
In case, some might have a short memory of the bitter war which was waged by this rebel group, extracting an example from the archives will illustrate the sordid nature of war.
The Homoine incident in which an estimated 424 civilians including patients from a hospital were slaughtered with guns and machetes shows the cruel hand of war. In that incident alone, defenceless civilians were axed, knifed, bayoneted, burned to death and force drowned whilst some were asphyxiated.
Any war the world over has always had devastating consequences to all. Some hold the all time mistaken view that war is a nightmare to women and children. Whilst it is true that women and children suffer the most from the effects of war, even men are also at the receiving end given that there are the ones who will have firsthand experience of this anomaly. With war, humanity has a real probability to become extinct especially with the apparent fact that the mutilated children are expected to constitute the future population of tomorrow.
The formerly rebel group, Renamo, has morphed from being predominantly an instrument of hostile colonial empire into an opposition political entity after the October 4, 1992 Rome Peace Accords where the Community of Sant Egidio negotiated for a peace settlement with the avid support of the United Nations.
It appears Renamo now thrives on intimidating people by regurgitating the heinous effects of war, using it as a political tool to coerce people to support it. This partly explains its continuous statements threatening to unleash war on the populace.
There is a common factor binding the Renamo leadership, from the days of Andre Matsangaisa to its current leader, Alfonso Dhlakama, that is the urge to usurp power at all cost. That dangerous inclination by the leadership can only have one result, which is disaster.
There are claims by Renamo that resources in that country have to be equitably shared by all provinces. They need to be reminded that this can only be undertaken in a peaceful environment devoid of its constant intimidation and rhetoric which borders on war.
In an environment of peace, the government of the day concentrates on its mandate of delivering services to the populace. Where there is a possibility of war, the government of the day will divert resources to build its war chest hence the development thrust is sacrificed.
With its vast natural resources, some known and others unknown, Mozambique is a potential regional economic giant. All that is needed is total peace which will naturally inject momentum into the economic growth agenda of the nation.
In the Third world, the possibility of a third force behind, the chaos being orchestrated by Renamo should never be ignored. Africa’s erstwhile colonizers have an ardent interest in the resources of its former colonizers hence they will always use money to influence the behaviour of certain political leaders in a manner pliant to their whims. The conflict in Mozambique could partly be explained to human leadership frailty as epitomized by other classic examples in the world political arena.
The invasion of Iraq by America and its British ally is a manifestation of the then leaders George Bush and Tony Blair’s myopia. As much as those two countries’ war policies have always been in controversy, the onerous responsibility to promote peace rests on the shoulders of the leaders.
Instead of protecting the sanctity of peace, Bush and Blair unnecessarily dragged their countries and fellow European allies into a war whose devastating impact to peace haunts the world to this day. This could be the case with Dhlakama who seems so keen to outdo his political adversaries in Frelimo just to satisfy his huge ego.
Astute political leaders who have earned the respect of the world have always stood by the virtues of peace. Some might wonder as to euphoria of the so-called Madiba magic in South Africa which has earned the former President of South Africa world acclaim and accolades, it was his strong conviction to the ideals of peace.
Mandela stood solid to his beliefs in the furtherance of peace. These actions by the likes of Madiba should spur the likes of Dhlakama to turn into a new leaf in advocating for peace in Mozambique.
Having political ambitions is as old as time itself but harboring political urges which are a threat to peace could spell doom to humanity.
It is only peace which can usher positive change to Africa and indeed the world.
What Mozambique needs is total peace for her to unleash her social and economic potential for the benefit of her citizens.
Online Reporter