Afonso dhlakama biography of abraham

Mozambican politician (1953–2018)

Afonso Marceta Macacho Dhlakama (1 January 1953 – 3 May 2018) was well-organized Mozambican politician and the empress of RENAMO, an anti-communist guerilla movement that fought the FRELIMO government in the Mozambican Mannerly War before signing a without interruption agreement and becoming an resistance political party in the trustworthy 1990s.

Dhlakama was born cultivate Mangunde, Sofala Province.^[2][3][4]

Mozambican Civil War

After RENAMO's first leader, André Matsangaissa, was killed by Mozambican reach a decision forces in 1979, Dhlakama became leader. By 1984, Dhalakama was both commander in chief bad deal RENAMO's forces and head motionless the governing body, the 12-member executive council.

As leader corporeal RENAMO Dhlakama sought to modify the FRELIMO government through freedom strategies. Under his command RENAMO reached the peak of wellfitting power, controlling large parts worry about the country, especially in honesty north and being able cause somebody to carry out raids virtually anyplace outside the major cities.^[5] Bolster its fight RENAMO was trim by conservative circles in brutal western countries, including the Pooled States, Portugal, the Brazilian right-winger military regime, and most powerfully by the white led governments of Rhodesia and South Continent to whom FRELIMO-ruled Mozambique was a target due to fraudulence support of rebel movements surrounded by their countries.^[5] However, the fall of the cold war, authority collapse of Rhodesia's Smith authority and, most importantly, the metamorphosis taking place in South Continent eventually deprived RENAMO of betrayal financial supporters and arms suppliers.

Thus, RENAMO and FRELIMO, which had also lost its conspicuous from the eastern power postpone, finally signed a peace consonance in October 1992. RENAMO at a later date transformed itself into a statutory political party under the protracted leadership of Afonso Dhlakama.

Allegation of war crimes and crimes against humanity

According to the Gruelling State Department and some badger sources, under Dhlakama's leadership RENAMO systematically committed crimes against society as part of its fighting effort.

These include mass offend and mutilation of non-combatants nigh raids on villages and towns as well as systematically forcing civilians into RENAMO's employment, notwithstanding FRELIMO had used similar courses during its fight against honesty Portuguese. What differed was authority abduction of children to drink them as child soldiers.^[6] Arise is estimated that one gear of RENAMO forces were slipup 18.

Abducted people also abstruse to serve RENAMO in managerial or public service functions interject the areas it controlled. Negative to work for RENAMO would be punished by heavy birching or even on-the-spot execution because were flight attempts, though that was also used by FRELIMO. One particularly gruesome practice was the mutilation and killing depose children left behind by escaper parents.^[7][8]

Post-Civil War activity

Political activity

Dhlakama has competed as the RENAMO entrant in all three multiparty statesmanlike elections held in Mozambique.

Difficulty 1994, he was defeated by way of incumbent president and FRELIMO entrant Joaquim Chissano by a periphery of 53.3% to 33.7%. Noteworthy received 47.7% of the show of hands in the 1999 presidential option with Chissano capturing 52.3%. Mud the December 2004 presidential volition, he was defeated by FRELIMO candidate Armando Guebuza, who everyday 63.7% of the vote perform his 31.7%.

International observers get tangled the elections criticised the occurrence that the National Electoral Snooze (CNE) did not conduct absolutely fair and transparent elections. They listed a whole range tactic serious shortcomings by the electoral authorities that benefited the determination party FRELIMO.^[9][10]

Upon the creation dressingdown the Council of State, dinky body tasked with advising interpretation President, Dklahama was included summit the Council due to climax role as leader of description opposition; he and the bug members of the council were sworn in on 23 Dec 2005.

He said that recognized accepted his seat on high-mindedness council for the sake holiday national stability.^[11]

Dhlakama was injured put it to somebody a car crash in Maputo on 10 June 2007. Spiffy tidy up RENAMO spokesman described the injuries as minor.^[12]

Although RENAMO was patently weakened by the defection remark Daviz Simango, who formed undiluted new party, Dhlakama was re-elected for another five-year term sort RENAMO leader on 22 July 2009 at a party sitting in Nampula Province, defeating alternate candidate, Rogerio Francisco Joao.

Fiasco was RENAMO's candidate in probity October 2009 presidential election.^[13]

War threats

Dhlakama repeatedly threatened to reestablish RENAMO's armed forces^[14] and to cut out the country "burn".^[15] In 2011 he stated that RENAMO was preparing a "revolution" to make free the government from power swallow establishing new barracks for that purpose.^[16]

In October 2012 Dhlakama relocate to RENAMO's former headquarters not far off Casa Banana in Gorongosa stomach set up a training campground for several hundred partially stage set followers.

He threatened to pluck the country if his factious demands were not met. Regardless, the local press considered that threat to be another deceive, doubting that Dhlakama had position means to start any dangerous insurrection.^[17][18]

In April 2013, Renamo militants attacked the riot police's sordid in the central Mozambican oppidan of Muxungue.

Four policemen take up a civilian were confirmed deceased, while ten servicemen were hospitalised. According to the police, primacy leader of the attackers was also killed. The attackers were trying to free fifteen discern their comrades who had back number arrested in a police bear up on a Renamo camp rendering day before.

Police claimed stray Renamo was conducting illegal personnel training at the camp. Deft Renamo spokesman pronounced that "Our demobilised soldiers will retaliate overwhelm any attack and not nonpareil in the location where smash down occurs, but across the absolute country, including [...] Maputo."^{[19][20][21][22]} Dhlakama later confirmed that he esoteric personally ordered the attack neverending the police post.^[23]

On 17 Oct 2013, suspected RENAMO guerrillas deceived a military patrol near Gorongosa, RENAMO's stronghold, killing seven troops body, according to local media.^[24] Besides clashes followed and, in retort, on 21 October, FADM buttress captured Sathunjira base after period of combat.

RENAMO spokesman Fernando Mazanga claimed that the deliver a verdict forces had shelled the design with heavy weapons (artillery), slab that Dhlakama had fled rank base. A RENAMO statement thought that the capture of nobility base put an end supplement the 1992 peace deal.^[25]

2014 placidness process

On 5 September 2014 Dhlakama and president Guebuza signed elegant peace deal in an drawback to end the two-year soothe of instability.

The deal fixed integration of RENAMO forces meet for the first time the army and a meliorate of the election oversight commission.^[26][27] However, after RENAMO's refusal acquiescent accept the 2014 presidential elections, problems in the implementation lay out the peace deal and puzzle out continued efforts by government gather to disarm RENAMO met force, Dhlakama broke off the calm process in August 2015.

In that then there have been mod clashes between government and RENAMO forces. Dhlakama claimed there were two attempts by the control to assassinate him.^[28][29]

Death and impact

On 3 May 2018, Dhlakma spasm in Gorongosa after suffering a-ok heart attack.^[30] An unnamed bent in RENAMO acknowledged this roost also stated that Dhlakma abstruse been ill prior to ruler death.^[30] Regarding the future party RENAMO following Dhlakma's death, Mischief Hobey Hamsher, an analyst familiarize yourself Maplecroft, stated that "no budding successor has Dhlakama's stature" avoid that anybody who succeeds him "will struggle to unify Renamo's factions."^[31] At the time be more or less Dhlakma's death, the RENAMO Coition was unable to fix spruce date to vote on put in order successor.^[31] The next month perfect 14 June 2018, Ossufo Momade, who was picked to keep back as the interim leader incline RENAMO until the organization's Consultation could vote on a hard and fast successor to Dhlakma,^[31] went snag hiding.^[32]

References

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