Mozambique
The Head of security for Mozambique’s opposition Renamo party, Ossufo Momade, has condemned recent police operations on the party’s headquarters and the homes of its leader saying they amount to trespassing.
“We were surprised by the invasion of the Frelimo military to the two residences of the president in Maputo (one in Julius Nyerere and another in Sommerschield 2) and the national headquarters of the party. This invasion resulted in the arrest of two guards and the seizure of 20 AK47s,” Momade said.
“At the official residence of the President and his other house, they took 85,500 meticais. At the national headquarters, they broke into the offices and took a Dell laptop, 2,100 meticais from petty cash,” he added.
According to Zitamar News, Mozambique’s police had on March 27, raided the Maputo headquarters of the opposition party, as well as two houses belonging to Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama, and confiscated weapons four days before Dhlakama’s self-imposed deadline to seize power in roughly half of the country.
Police raid Mozambique opposition https://t.co/kw3BGYaLwC
— BBC Africa (@BBCAfrica) March 28, 2016
Dhlakama’s wife and children were reportedly at their Julius Nyerere home at the time of the operation.
Ammunition and military uniforms, some of them belonging to the Armed and Defence Forces of Mozambique (FADM) were also seized, along with an unspecified amount of precious and semi-precious stones.
Maputo police chief, Beradino Rafael said the raids were connected to armed criminal activity in the capital. He said they confiscated 40 automatic Kalashnikov AKM rifles, of which 12 were in working condition and seven operational pistols.
The opposition party said its right to retain arms was enshrined in the 1992 Rome peace accords, for the protection of the party, its headquarters and its president.
The police has however dismissed the party’s claim that 2 of its guards were arrested.
The police said four Renamo guards were summoned to the station to explain why they had the weapons.
AFP, AGENCIES
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