Two key donors - the EU and the UK - have indirectly backed Frelimo in the dispute over the elections, in a way which will clearly strengthen the position of hard-liners within the Frelimo leadership. Yesterday, 18 November, the European Council of Ministers approved another €20mn ($21mn) to support Rwandan troops in Mozambique, in direct support of Frelimo policy on the Cabo Delgado war. And yesterday was leaked a 13 November letter from Chatham House in London to Daniel Chapo "to congratulate you on your presidential victory in the October elections and … looking forward to the validation of the results by the Constitutional Council" and inviting him to speak at Chatham House. Letter: https://bit.ly/Moz-CH-Chapo
There were three largely corrupt elections at about the same time, in Venezuela, Georgia, and Mozambique. On the first two, Europe moved quickly to condemn the elections and say that the re-elections of presidents was not credible. In Mozambique, even in the face of the opposition-called general strike, the diplomatic mood has been to wait for the Constitutional Council (CC) to rule and then to support negotiations under a Frelimo government given legitimacy by the CC. In last year's municipal elections, there was firm evidence seen by this bulletin that Venancio Mondlane and Renamo won in both Maputo and Matola, but the CC gave the victory to Frelimo and no donor government opened its mouth to complain.
Both UK and EU actions were taken in Europe and reflect timing of processes there. There is annoyance in Maputo that they reflect agendas in capitals and that advice was not taken from Maputo about a fast-moving process.
Both the EU and UK actions are indirect actions, by bodies that are slightly distanced from the crisis within Mozambique. Chatham House is the 100-year-old “Royal Institute of International Affairs” and is “independent” but close to the British foreign office and diplomatic community. The Chatham House letter reflects an assumption that Chapo will be President and it is best to delay until after that is confirmed by the CC.
The European Council of Ministers is an EU body, but it is composed of national ministers. Thus its decision means a broad agreement to fund Rwandan mercenaries in Cabo Delgado. The EU Council is supporting the Frelimo line that the Cabo Delgado war is a foreign invasion with no local roots. Many people who have studied the Cabo Delgado war say it is mainly disaffected youth who see no jobs or future, and who see Frelimo with foreigners stealing the resource wealth. €20mn could easily create 10,000 jobs and would virtually stop the war if the 4000 insurgents were given those jobs.
What is the difference between Venezuela, Georgia and Mozambique? In Venezuela, the oil is nationalised. In Georgia the government is pro-Russian. But Mozambique has a docile government that allows foreign companies to control the gas and other resources. There were no donor complaints about the blatant theft of elections in Maputo and Matola last year. Even through there was ample proof, no one said Venancio Mondlane was the legitimate mayor of Maputo.
This year many observers groups have reported widespread fraud, but the donors say "wait for the CC" which rubber-stamped Mondlane's fraudulent defeat last year. The international community may again be backing Frelimo, but young people are clearly not. And the donors and lenders will play a key role in the next few months. Will they back the ruling party and take their gas and minerals, or will they support young people who see no future and have had enough?
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Mondlane stops big demonstrations
Speaking on Facebook this morning, Venancio Mondlane said there would be no big marches this week. Instead there will be three days of mourning - Wednesday-Friday - 20-22 November - for the victims of killing and kidnapping.
He called for only one disruptive action. At noon on all three days all cars should stop wherever they are for 15 minutes. Then drive off but continue hooting your horn until 13h.
People without cars should make posters with messages against kidnaps and killings and for restoring fair elections and a free Mozambique
Panelaços continue every night 21h to 22h, but only inside houses or blocks of flats or groups of houses. No marches.
During the three days of mourning people should wear black clothing, ribbons , gloves or other symbols of protest and solidarity.
Mondlane also opposed the violence and vandalism of some people, who he said were hired to infiltrate the protests give it a bad image.
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Nyusi calls candidates for meeting
President Filipe Nyusi in a 45 minute national speech this afternoon made only one concrete proposal to resolve the crisis. He said he would organise a meeting of the four presidential candidates: Daniel Chapo, Venancio Mondlane, Ossufo Momade and Lutero Simango. He said the biggest block to resolving the crisis were big egos. He said we should wait for the Constitutional Council to report.
Otherwise there were no concrete proposals and no acceptance of any problems. He called for calm, tolerance and patience. He said the rights of people to move freely were more important than the rights of protestors. And he said there was no right to stop the government from functioning.
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Plain clothes hit squads to shoot demonstrators
Plain clothes hit squads to kill demonstrators were ordered to be established last week by the General Commander of the Police, Bernardino Rafael, in a video conference he held with provincial commanders. They then shared the order with the district commanders. The instruction is to carry out selective shootings so as not to create a great impact, as happened last week in Namicopo, in Nampula city, when the local police murdered seven demonstrators and wounded more than a dozen.
Amateur videos and photos provide evidence. These two photos show two white pick-ups with plain clothes police.
One video shows a uniformed and a plain clothes policemen opening fire against demonstrators. One gives orders to his colleague to “rub out” one of the demonstrators. “Take down one, chief, rub out just one, take out just one”, he ordered, in the midst of various shots fired by members of the police.
In several cities, plain clothes police members have used vehicles without number plates to fire against demonstrators and then to flee. One example can be seen in this video, where members of the Rapid Intervention Unit, all armed, take off their uniforms, put on normal clothing and get into a dual cabin Toyota vehicle without registration plates. In some cases, the police follow the demonstrators and shoot them inside their own homes, as happened last week. Five demonstrators were shot in a house. In some places plain clothes police agents park vehicles on the streets used by the demonstrators and identify the main leaders so that they can be shot later.
Monday night (18 November) a plain clothes police agent shot a citizen in the area known as Pilivi, Matola. The individual was killed with a shot to the head.
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One dead and about a dozen injured in Chimoio
It all began when members of the police set fire to the stall of Paulino White in the 38 Millimetre Market in Chimoio, Manica. She is a personal friend of Venâncio Mondlane who mobilised people in support of Podemos and Mondlane. Other stallholders rose in revolt against the police. Demonstrators burned tyres and blocked roads. The police went there and the result was that about ten people were injured by police bullets. One of those shot later died.
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A young woman believed to be a seller in the same market was shot in the leg. The bullet perforated the flesh and broke the leg.
Three more deaths have been confirmed, including a man believed to be a police agent, who was killed by a crowd in Murrupula, Nampula.
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No action a month after murders of Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe
Lawyer Elvino Dias and Podemos election agent Paulo Guambe, were murdered in the early morning of 19 October in the Maputo neighbourhood of Malhangalene. The two were murdered in a hail of 25 bullets. It is suspected that the killers are members of a police death squad. The murderers were driving a white vehicle and the death squads use this type of vehicle (as in the pictures above). The first version, presented by the Maputo City police spokesperson was that the two were murdered by rivals after a squabble over a woman. But this version soon collapsed and did not even convince the Minister of the Interior, Pascoal Ronda, who said the causes of the killings were unknown. So far, the police have not presented any clues about the suspects..
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Property of Frelimo members set on fire
In Dondo and Nhamatanda, Sofala, various items of property belong to the Frelimo Party and its members were vandalised and set on fire over the weekend. In Mafambisse, Dondo, a group of demonstrators burnt the Pioneer Market and the office of the Frelimo Party. The first act happened early on Saturday morning. In all, 25 stalls were burnt down.
Early on Monday morning, five Frelimo Party members were threatened with death in their homes in Munhonha and Mussassa neighbourhoods, and a Frelimo Party office was burnt down.
In Nhamatanda, unknown arsonists, early on Saturday morning, set fire to five houses and a shed where the local headquarters of Frelimo in Machessa neighbourhood, was operating, as shown in the photo.
