Peace process slowed by Renamo demands_1.pdf

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The Mozambique Peace Process Slowed by Renamo Demandsby KathiAusun

Kathi Ausun is director of the Mozambique Research Project at theAfrica Policy lnformation Center

Aftsr the agrecment of Ocrcber 1992, rhe pcac proc-ess n Mozambique was offo aslow startdue to the sluggishdeployment of thc United Natrons Operation in Mozam-bique (ONUMOZ). But ncarly all of the 7,500 "bluchelmes" and over 3,000 civilian ONUMOZ personnel wercin place by lare tviay 1993. Elecrions scheduled origuallyfor the fall of 1993 ar now set for Ocober 1994. But thepacc is suil so slow that it wil bc difficult !o mct, hc newdate. The current delay rcsults from new demands, by theResistencia Nacbnal Mocambicana (Renemo), which ineffect are an a[empt o rcnegodatc the Gcneral Peacc

Accord (GPA).Like Unita in Angola, Renamo is proving thatan inter-

nacionally monitorcd prcss rneans nothing if thcre arerecalcitrant forces who are allowed to challenge the agreedupon peee plan. The inarnarional donor community hasnow threatened not o provide funlrcr funding for the tran-sition proccss bcyond thc Octoba 1994 dcadlinc.

In l{arch, Renamo prlled out of the commssions tharwerr set up to monitc thc ceascfire and work out additionaldetails requircd fu implcmcnnrion of the accord- Renamoleader Alfonso Dhlafama claimed that Renamo walr notpmvided with suinble rcommodations, communicationsor transport services. Dhlakama also threatcned not oreturn to the process until Renamo received the$15 millionit was promised in a "secrct deal" last December by thcItalian govemment

While the Italian governmentadmitted it had agrced oprovide funds to Renarno to establish i6elf as a politicalpany, it claimed ttrat it had not committed the sum of $15rnillion. Some members of the inarnuional communitywho anended the 1992 December donors' conference inItaly, where dre secret linancial arangement was workedout" were upsct that they had not been made privy o thisagresment. They had already pledged approximately $320million for the transition process in Mozambique, allowing

ll%o to be earmarked for opposition parties. And many ofthe countries, including the U.S., have laws prevendngpublic funds from going to foreign political panies.

But to ketp Renamo involved in the peace process, thcUN set up its own Trust Fund for Renamo in May 1993 oraise the $15 million. So far, the Iulians have contributcd$6 million with France ud Pomrpl pledgrng $1 millioneach. The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden are alsoexpecrcd o provide funding.

By June, ONUMOZ had secured rooms in the luxuri-ous Cardoso Hoel for Renamo from Lonhro magnale TinyRowland at an approximate cost of $100,000 pe r month to

the inbmational communiry. Meanwhiie the govcrnmentwas sdll providing additional housing in the capital torRenamo. Stilt dissatisfied, Renarno has asked for a $32million compound to be built, with health faciliries andother arnenities.

Over the years, Renamo has become accustomed tousing exortion o get is way. For example. it was paid offseveral trmes by thc South African elecric company ESCOMin exchange for not blowing up the Cabora Bossa powerpylons. Therefore it shonld not have been surprising whenthc leading Rensrno reprsentative in Mapuo, Raul Domin-

gos, announced at the inarnational donors' conl'erence inMapuo last June tlrat Renarno now required upwards of$100 miilion o assist in its ransformation n a polidcalparty. Domingos warned that the refusal of these fundswould "undermine the peace process and democrntizadgnin Mozambique, with incalculable consequences for theMozambican pcople." Domingos also insisted on addi-tional funds for overscas rips and foreigp offices for Re-namo. While the inrcrnationsl community was scramblingto raise the funds to pscfy Rsnamo, Rcnamo raised yetadditionai issues. In June, Domingos also stated that Re-namo soldiers would not begin demobilization unril ncwuniforms and training centen were provided. The UN,after leaming its lesson n angola insists thatelections willnot takeplace undl full demolilizqdqn has been compietedand the new national army (Forcas Armadss de Defensadc Mocanbi


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lncreasingly, he internationa.l ommunrty has grownwalry of Renamo's tal l in tact ics nd delays. n Apnl, UNSecuri ty Council Resolution 81 8 appeaied o Renamo toensure he el'fective and unrnlem:pted funcdoning of th ejoint commissrons nd monrtonng mechanisms". At iheJune donors conference n Maputo, the Canadian epresen-ative s6ted "the international community cannot xcceptany more pre-conditions". Faced with the ned o placatethe intemational community, Renamo reyoined he com-missions n mid-July. In early August , he Jornt Commrs-sion o esublish Mozambiqrr's new armed orcrs (CCFADIV$rgreed to a detailed plan for tie command structure of thenational umy as well as a training timetable.

Meanwhile, Dhlakama himself repeatedly delayed avisit to Maputo, while raising new demands. The centralissue now is Renamo's demand for dual administrauon of

the country. The texr of the peace accord, howevbr, rejecsthe notion of a parallel administrauon, insread insistrng onfie extension of central sate authority to ail areas.

The very firstprotocol, agreed afterprolonged negotia-don, specified that the signaories would "wage politicatsuuggle in observance of the laws in force, in the t'rameworkof exisung state nstrtutions." The Accord also states ha t"Public Administrauon in Mozambique will continue ioobey existing laws, and will be exercised through thernstituuons provrded fo r by law." The Mozambique gov-emment has conceeded hat local authoriries n Renamo-conrolled areas would be snffed by residents of those areaswho might be members oi Renamo.

On 24 June 1993 the "territorial administration" de-mand by Renamodeveloped nto acrisis. Nineteen people,including a member of Partiament, were detained by thegroup near Salamanga, on the grounds that they were inviolation of Renamo aw by hunting n Renamo erritory. Ittook extensive UN mediadon betbre Renamo released heJeuinees on 14 July 1993.

At, he same dme Renamo was taking Mozambican ci -viiians hosmge, U.S. Assistant Secrenry of Sute for Afri-can AtTars, George Mmse, visited Renamo leader Dklakamaat his headquarters in Maringue in central Mozambique,instead ol insisting on a meeting n Maputo. Moose's visit

to Maringue was perceived as egiumizing the Renamo de-mand to olficiaily deal with two separate and distinct ad-ministrations n Mozarnbique.

Moow justified hi s actions by saying he was pressrnglbr Renamo's relurn to the peace process. Dhlakamapledged o Moose that he would travel to Maputo in July tomeet with Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, butrhe meeting did not take place until the end of August.Meanwhile, Renamo upped the ante by issuing new de-mands for provincial governorships. The governorshipdemand was withdrawn afier the Chissano-Dhlakama meet-ing, but the issue oi adminisradon is ye t n be fullyresolved.

The Mozambique government has argued or implem-enotlon of the peace ccord which took so ong to negoriae,and which was signcd with the approval of the ntemarionalcommunrty. But despite intemauonal annoyance withRenamo, the tendency seems to be to accommodate cdemands instead of insisung on implementation oi theAccord.

The Mozambique govemment has expenence with ne-gotiadng treaties in good faith, only to have ounide forcesundermine them. Mozambique negouated the NkomariAccord in gmd iaith with South Africa in I984, oniy to seeit continuously violarcd by the South Africans with the com-piicrt knowledge of forergn countries, ncluding the UnitedStates.

Renamo has not oniy pressed or separate administra-tive conrol over spccific area.s, ut has also violarcd the

GPA by not allowrng free access to its areas of militaryconuol. In the Aprrl Reponof the tIN Secretary General (S/25551t). Bouaos-Ghali warned that Renamo continues to"obstruct the freedom of movement of people and goodsforeseen n the general peace agrement".

Often permission has to be sought before aid agenciescan deliver food and humaniunan relief. Renamo hasalready interfered with economic enrcrpnses suspected ofhaving any link to the Mozambique govemmenq namelytimber and woodcuning operations for local fuel needs. Ithas also been reponed that retuming ret-ugees -rom Zim-babwe are being uxed. QYOTE: The repariadon processalready underway tbr refugees eturning to Mozambique isthe largest ever on t}recontrnent of Africa.)

Renamo's aim rs o maintarn ightconrol over its uns-diction, due to the iear that its support could be greatlyreduced if access were granted. It is widely believed thatRenamo nirially paruciparcd n peace a.lls n 1992 becausetie severity of the drought was causing people, includingsoldiers, to leave Renamo-held areas. Aid agencies havebeen asked by viilagers who were tbrcibly displaced byRenamo to assist them in reurming to their homes areas.Many of these are child soldiers as weil as the tamrlies ofwomen who were forced inn marriase with Renamo sol-diers as a result of rape.

Nevertheless. t seems hat Renamo continues to tlndsympathy from outsrde countries who beiieve that tJle

Accord should be open to renegotiation in lavor of power-shanng. By May 1993, he US Embassy n Maputo cucu-lated a Department of Starc document enutied, ConflictResolution n Africa: Ltssons rom Angola which arguesthat "winner-takes-all" elections do not lend themselves oreconciliation. The Ialian Forei gn Minisrcr Beniamino An-dreatu has been publicly lobbying for a power-sharing ar-rangement prior to the elecdons. It is also reported that UNSperial Representative Ajello has been pushing for newformulas which would go beyond the GPA in the direcuonof new concessions o Renamo.

ACAS Conflicts in Africa - 15

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Recently, a U.S. Starc Department official in Washing-to n expiained hrs deiight tiat Renamo was peaceful.ly al -lowed to conduct politrcal rallies in urban areas predomi-nated by Frelimo supportars. "Multr-partyism at work", heclarmed. When reminded that Renamo was no t ye t ailowingireedom of movement or politrcal activism by other paniesin areas ha t t conuolled, he tamely commened that he had

not thought of rhalThroughout the transiuon procss, the intemationalcommunity, including rhe United States, has supponedpeace nd concributed ample funds. Yet it has arled o bnngsignificant pressure to bear on Renamo and its foreignbackers, while rcpeatedly calling fo r new government con-cessions. Even wirh Renamo's increasing demands andiailure to adequately participate in the Mapun commis-sions. rhe Mozambique government has not found succcssin appealing to rhe intemadonal community to break thedeadlock. Left at the mercy of Renarno, the peace processremains hostage o each new Renamo demand.

Conflict resolution should imply mediation betweenopposing sides where canots and sticks are raded until acompromise is reached. Once a seulement is in place, thewarring pardes should be expected o abide by their murualdecision. Outside pressure should help keep the agreementon track. with additional pressures applied o Oe side thatines to renege on the agrement. Today, in the case ofMozambique, conllictresolution appears o mean qugmu,

with diplomacy held hosuge to the most ntransigent pany.So called neurality has eft open new adjusrmenn and newdemands, ather than the application of pressure o moveahead. For the internarional communrly, rhis is rhe tbunhlargest UN opera[ion ever. So t'ar, there has ireen no newexplosion of violence as seen n Angola. But the politrcs ofJnft is rapidly reducing the chances of a peaceful future.

Renamo eader Dhlakama s reponedly plannrng a vrsitto the United States n September, with the aid ot SouthAfrican advisers. Although he has been ntbrmed that hewill not see any olficial higher than Assistant Secreury ofState Moose, rhe question s what signai he visir might giveand whether he wrll be told unequrvocally ftat t'unherdelays are unacsepable.

In the final days of he Bush administradon, U.S.officials reponedly told the Mozambican government rhatWashington had to be tolerant oi Renamo because of theulack of experience and insecurity, bu t would be smcr inresponding to any government violations of the peaceaccord. To date, despite general agreement that Renamohas repeaedly sulled on implemennng the agreement.therc has been no clear signal that this double standard hasbeen abandoned. Mozambique's people, who have suf-fered through years of Renamo auociries, are now beingasked to forget for the sake of reconciliauon. They deservebetter.

President Chissano is scheduied to visit the Unied States or a private visit in September1993. At the May 1993 African- African American Summit in Libreville, Cabon,Chissano was invied by Virginia Governor Douglass Wilder n fuchmond, Virginia forthe US Governors' Contbrence from 19-22 September 1993. He will be anended by theDeputy Minister for Planning, and the Deputy Minister for Finance who have pardci-pated in the Mapuo commissions.

ACAS Conflicts n Africa - 16

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Peace process slowed by Renamo demands_1.pdf