Maputo — A former guerrilla leader, Timosse Maquinze, has demanded the resignation of the leader of Renamo, the largest opposition party in Mozambique, Ossufo Momade.

Maquinze, cited by the Portuguese news agency Lusa, accuses Momade of inaction in the face of the alleged fraud in the municipal elections held on 11 October.

"The party leadership and the president of Renamo are not saying anything', Maquinze said. "It seems to me that he has been bought [by the ruling Frelimo party]. There are municipalities that have been stolen from us, and he [Momade] seems to be tied down. On the problems with demobilizing the Renamo military, he's not saying anything either'.

Maquinze was supposedly the chief of staff of the Renamo armed wing until the party's recent demilitarization.

He believes that, at the next Renamo congress, scheduled for 2024, Momade should step down from the party's leadership.

"We need a new president to lead the party (...) Both in the military and the political wings of Renamo, we have people who know how to work and can lead the party', Maquinze added.

According to Maquinze, going back to war is not an option, even though Renamo's demobilized guerrillas "are having a bad time, I don't see any pensions. I myself am without a pension'.

However the former Renamo guerrillas want peace. "If we wanted confusion, we would have done it a long time ago', Maquinze said. "We want peace now, but the government is not complying with what was signed'.

Between 2019 and June of this year, over 5,000 members of the Renamo militia were demobilized under the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programme, agreed between the government and Renamo.