Mozambique: Renamo Military Base in Montepuez Closed

A thirteenth Renamo military base has been closed under the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme, agreed by the government and Renamo as part of the General Peace Agreement of August 2019. During the closing ceremony on 17 August, 444 former guerrillas were demobilised in Montepuez district in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

According to Renamo's figures, only three bases remain to be closed.

As with the entire DDR process, the decision to close the base was jointly agreed upon by the government and Renamo, with field activities overseen by the Military Affairs Commission and the Joint Technical Groups set up by the two former belligerents.

According to a statement from the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy to Mozambique and Chairperson of the Contact Group between the government and Renamo, Mirko Manzoni, "with this development, the DDR has reached 77 per cent of its intended beneficiaries".

"We commend the continued positive collaboration between the Government and Renamo", said Manzoni. "The disarmament and demobilisation phase of the implementation of the Maputo Peace and National Reconciliation Agreement is drawing to a close, and efforts to support reintegration must continue".

According to Manzoni, peace in Mozambique brings benefits to all sectors of society, and all stakeholders can contribute to peace. "The stabilisation of the security situation in Cabo Delgado over the past year has made today's achievement possible, and the closure of this base gives renewed hope that peace and stability are returning to the region", said Manzoni, stressing that it is also a reflection on the country's peacebuilding model, through national and regional solutions.

Manzoni concluded with a pledge that the United Nations remains committed to supporting the people of Mozambique in building a more prosperous future.

Most of what is politely referred to as Renamo's "residual forces" were concentrated in the central provinces of Mania and Sofala. It comes as something of a surprise to learn that over 400 ex-Renamo guerrillas were living in Montepuez. There are no reports of this group taking part in any military activity since the first peace agreement was signed in October 1992.

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