20.3 C
New York
November 7, 2024
1st Afrika
AFRIKA HERALD

Mozambique Presidential Candidate Campaigns From Bush Hide-Out

MOZAMBIQUE

The former rebel chieftain, who returned to the bush in 2012 and embarked on a low-level insurgency, was anointed presidential candidate for October polls by his Renamo party on Monday.

“We will hold a tele-conference,” to broadcast his message to a party rally in the central city of Beira on Tuesday afternoon, spokesman Antonio Muchanga told AFP.

Two decades after signing a peace accord to end a bitter civil war between Renamo and the Frelimo-led government, Dhlakama quit the capital Maputo, threatening to divide the country again unless the government agreed to a list of demands.

These include equal representation for Renamo in the armed forces and police.

After government forces overran his bush camp late last year he went into hiding in the remote Gorongosa mountains in central Mozambique.

His forces have waged a sporadic insurgency in Gorongosa and along the national highway close to the town of Muxungue in the centre of the country. Clashes have also broken out in north-western Tete and central Zambezia provinces.

Dhlakama emerged briefly to register as a voter during a specially arranged visit by a mobile

 

registration brigade to the foothills of the Gorongosa mountains, and communicates with the media via a satellite phone link.

With just four months to go before the presidential polls, his party says it is close to reaching a negotiated settlement with the government and that Dhlakama will soon be able to campaign freely.

“We do not know when but everything indicates this”, Muchunga told AFP.

Dhlakama, 61, has stood for every presidential election since 1994. While he narrowly lost to President Armando Guebuza’s predecessor, Joaquim Chissano in 1999, he garnered just 16 percent of the vote against Guebuza in 2009.

Guebuza is due to step down in October after serving two terms and the ruling Frelimo party candidate will be former defence minister, Felipe Nyusi.

Related posts

Voter turnout for SA election on the up across Africa

Jide Adesina

LIVE UPDATE: NIGERIA ELECTION 2015 ; PRE-TEENS RESULT COMING IN SHOWS GEN BUHARI LEADING IN MOST PART OF SOUTH WEST AND ALL THE STATE IN NORTHERN PART OF NIGERIA // LIVE UPDATE : NIGERIA ÉLECTION 2015 ; LES PRÉ-ADOLESCENTS RÉSULTAT VENANT MONTRE GEN BUHARI MENANT DANS LA MAJEURE PARTIE DU SUD-OUEST ET TOUS L’ÉTAT DANS LA PARTIE NORD DU NIGÉRIA

Jide Adesina

Zimbabwe President Mugabe has revealed that he earns US$4,000 per month

Jide Adesina

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More