The Mozambique PeaceProcess Slowedby RenamoDemands by KathiAusun

Kathi Ausun is director of the Mozambique Research Project at the Africa Policy lnformation Center
Aftsr the agrecment of Ocrcber 1992, rhe pcac process in Mozambique was offo aslow startdue to the sluggish deployment of thc United Natrons Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ). But ncarly all of the 7,500 "bluc helmes" and over 3,000 civilian ONUMOZ personnel werc in place by lare tviay 1993. Elecrions scheduled origually for the fall of 1993 ar now set for Ocober 1994. But the pacc is suil so slow that it wil bc difficult !o mct, thc new date. The current delay rcsults from new demands, by the Resistencia Nacbnal Mocambicana (Renemo), which in effect are an a[empt o rcnegodatc the Gcneral Peacc Accord (GPA). Like Unita in Angola, Renamo is proving thatan internacionally monitorcd prcss rneans nothing if thcre are recalcitrant forces who are allowed to challenge the agreed upon peee plan. The inarnarional donor community has now threatened not o provide funlrcr funding for the transition proccss bcyond thc Octoba 1994 dcadlinc. In l{arch, Renamo prlled out of the commssions thar werr set up to monitc thc ceascfire and work out additional details requircd fu implcmcnnrion of the accord- Renamo leader Alfonso Dhlafama claimed that Renamo walr not pmvided with suinble rcommodations, communications or transport services. Dhlakama also threatcned not o return to the process until Renamo received the$15 million it was promised in a "secrct deal" last December by thc Italian govemment While the Italian governmentadmitted it had agrced o provide funds to Renarno to establish i6elf as a political pany, it claimed ttrat it had not committed the sum of $15 rnillion. Some members of the inarnuional community who anended the 1992 December donors' conference in Italy, where dre secret linancial arangement was worked out" were upsct that they had not been made privy o this agresment. They had already pledged approximately $320 million for the transition process in Mozambique, allowing ll%o to be earmarked for opposition parties. And many of the countries, including the U.S., have laws prevendng public funds from going to foreign political panies. But to ketp Renamo involved in the peace process, thc UN set up its own Trust Fund for Renamo in May 1993 o raise the $15 million. So far, the Iulians have contributcd $6 million with France ud Pomrpl pledgrng $1 million each. The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden are also expecrcd o provide funding. By June, ONUMOZ had secured rooms in the luxurious Cardoso Hoel for Renamo from Lonhro magnale Tiny Rowland at an approximate cost of $100,000 per month to the inbmational communiry. Meanwhiie the govcrnment was sdll providing additional housing in the capital tor Renamo. Stilt dissatisfied, Renarno has asked for a $32 million compound to be built, with health faciliries and other arnenities. Over the years, Renamo has become accustomed to using exortion o get is way. For example. it was paid off several trmes by thc South African elecric company ESCOM in exchange for not blowing up the Cabora Bossa power pylons. Therefore it shonld not have been surprising when thc leading Rensrno reprsentative in Mapuo, Raul Domingos, announced at the inarnational donors' conl'erence in Mapuo last June tlrat Renarno now required upwards of $100 miilion o assist in its ransformation n a polidcal party. Domingos warned that the refusal of these funds would "undermine the peace process and democrntizadgn in Mozambique, with incalculable consequences for the Mozambican pcople." Domingos also insisted on additional funds for overscas rips and foreigp offices for Renamo. While the inrcrnationsl community was scrambling to raise the funds to pscfy Rsnamo, Rcnamo raised yet additionai issues. In June, Domingos also stated that Renamo soldiers would not begin demobilization unril ncw uniforms and training centen were provided. The UN, after leaming its lesson in angola insists thatelections will not takeplace undl full demolilizqdqn has been compieted and the new national army (Forcas Armadss de Defensa dc Mocanbi<1ue) bccomes operuional. The GPA cails for a national army of 30,0@ troop,swith the government and Renamo erch providing half the soldiers. A pamal reason for the delay in demobilization has bcen thc failure of both the Mozambique governmenr and Renamo o identify ail 49 canonment sites wherc the sol$en are to present themselves. lrss than 15 have so far been approved However, ONUMOZ has already registered approximately 14,000 Mozambique govemment troops and resettled over half of thatnumber. The government has also presenrcd the recommended numberof soldiers o be trained for the new national army by the British in Nyanga, Zimbabwe. The BritM have lost considerable sums of money kceping the Nyangtcen@ropen oversix months while waiting fm Renamo's participation. In June, the British Ambassador to Mozambiquc Richard Edis wrned, "my governmcnt is not prepared to warte morc money in this way [by kecping open the military training center at Nyangai. It's time to say the delays are enough. Now, lec get on with By August" the first 50 implementing this process." Renamo soldiers for the raining course ltnally appeared.

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lncreasingly, the internationa.l communrty has grown walry of Renamo'sstalling tactics and delays. [n Apnl, UN Security Council Resolution818 appeaied [o Renamo"to ensure he el'fective and unrnlem:pted funcdoning of the joint commissronsand monrtonng mechanisms". At ihe Junedonors conferencein Maputo, the Canadianrepresenative s6ted "the international community cannot xccept any more pre-conditions". Faced with the ned to placate the intemational community, Renamo reyoinedthe commissionsin mid-July. In early August, the Jornt Commrssion o esublish Mozambiqrr's new armed forcrs (CCFADIV$ rgreed to a detailed plan for tie command structure of the national iumy as well as a training timetable. Meanwhile, Dhlakama himself repeatedly delayed a visit to Maputo, while raising new demands. The central issuenow is Renamo's demand for dual administrauon of the country. The texr of the peace accord, howevbr, rejecs the notion of a parallel administrauon, insread insistrng on fie extension of central sate authority to ail areas. The very firstprotocol, agreed afterprolonged negotiadon, specified that the signaories would "wage politicat suuggle in observanceof the laws in force, in the t'ramework of exisung stateinstrtutions." The Accord also statesthat "Public Administrauon in Mozambique will continue io obey existing laws, and will be exercised through the rnstituuonsprovrded for by law." The Mozambique govemment has conceededthat local authoriries in Renamoconrolled areaswould be snffed by residents of those areas who might be membersoi Renamo. On 24 June 1993 the "territorial administration" demandby Renamodevelopedinto acrisis. Nineteen people, including a member of Partiament, were detained by the group near Salamanga,, on the grounds that they were in violation of Renamo law by hunting in Renamo territory. It took extensive UN mediadon betbre Renamo releasedthe Jeuineeson 14 July 1993. At, the same dme Renamo was taking Mozambican civiiians hosmge,U.S. Assistant Secrenry of Sute for African AtTars, George Mmse, visited Renamo leader Dklakama at his headquarters in Maringue in central Mozambique, insteadol insisting on a meeting in Maputo. Moose's visit to Maringue was perceivedas legiumizing the Renamodemand to olficiaily deal with two separateand distinct administrationsin Mozarnbique. Moow justified his actions by saying he was pressrng lbr Renamo's relurn to the peace process. Dhlakama pledgedto Moose that he would travel to Maputo in July to meet with Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, but rhe meeting did not take place until the end of August. Meanwhile, Renamo upped the ante by issuing new demands for provincial governorships. The governorship demandwas withdrawn afier the Chissano-Dhlakama meeting, but the issue oi adminisradon is yet n be fully resolved.

The Mozambique governmenthas argued lor implemenotlon of the peaceaccordwhich took so long to negoriae, and which was signcd with the approvalof the intemarional communrty. But despite intemauonal annoyance with Renamo, the tendency seems to be to accommodate ic demands instead of insisung on implementation oi the Accord. The Mozambique govemment has expenence with negotiadng treaties in good faith, only to have ounide forces undermine them. Mozambique negouated the Nkomari Accord in gmd iaith with South Africa in I984, oniy to see it continuouslyviolarcdby the South Africans with the compiicrt knowledge of forergncountries,including the United States. Renamo has not oniy pressed for separateadministrative conrol over spccific area.s,but has also violarcd the GPA by not allowrng free access to its areas of military conuol. 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 goods foreseen in the general peace agrement". Often permission has to be sought before aid agencies can deliver food and humaniunan relief. Renamo has already interfered with economic enrcrpnses suspected of having any link to the Mozambique govemmenq namely timber and woodcuning operations for local fuel needs. It has also been reponed that retuming ret-ugeest-rom Zimbabwe are being uxed. QYOTE: The repariadon process already underway tbr refugees returning to Mozambique is the largest ever on t}re contrnent of Africa.) Renamo'saim rs to maintarntightconrol over its junsdiction, due to the iear that its support could be greatly reduced if access were granted. It is widely believed that Renamo inirially paruciparcd in peaceta.lls in 1992 because tie severity of the drought was causing people, including soldiers, to leave Renamo-held areas. Aid agencies have been asked by viilagers who were tbrcibly displaced by Renamo to assist them in reurming to their homes areas. Many of these are child soldiers as weil as the tamrlies of women who were forced inn marriase with Renamo soldiers as a result of rape. Nevertheless. it seems that Renamo continues to tlnd sympathy from outsrde countries who beiieve that tJle Accord should be open to renegotiation in lavor of powershanng. By May 1993,the US Embassyin Maputo cuculated a Department of Starc document enutied, Conflict Resolution in Africa: Ltssons from Angola which argues that "winner-takes-all" elections do not lend themselves to reconciliation. The Ialian Forei gn Minisrcr Beniamino Andreatu has been publicly lobbying for a power-sharing arrangement prior to the elecdons. It is also reported that UN Sperial Representative Ajello has been pushing for new formulas which would go beyond the GPA in the direcuon of new concessions o Renamo.

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Recently, a U.S. Starc Department official in Washington expiained hrs deiight tiat Renamo was peaceful.lyallowed to conduct politrcal rallies in urban areas predominatedby Frelimo supportars. "Multr-partyism at work", he clarmed. When reminded that Renamo was not yet ailowing ireedom of movement or politrcal activism by other panies in areasthat it conuolled, he tamely commened that he had not thought of rhal Throughout the transiuon procss, the intemational community, including rhe United States, has supponed peaceand concributedample funds. Yet it has farled o bnng significant pressure to bear on Renamo and its foreign backers,while rcpeatedly calling for new government concessions. Even wirh Renamo's increasing demands and iailure to adequately participate in the Mapun commissions. rhe Mozambique government has not found succcss in appealing to rhe intemadonal community to break the deadlock. Left at the mercy of Renarno, the peace process remains hostage o each new Renamo demand. Conflict resolution should imply mediation between opposing sides where canots and sticks are raded until a compromise is reached. Once a seulement is in place, the warring pardes should be expected o abide by their murual decision. Outside pressure should help keep the agreement on track. with additional pressures applied o Oe side that ines to renege on the agrement. Today, in the case of Mozambique, conllictresolution appears ro mean qugmu,

with diplomacy held hosuge to the most intransigentpany. So called neurality has left open new adjusrmenn and new demands, rather than the application of pressure to move ahead. For the internarional communrly, rhis is rhe tbunh largest UN opera[ion ever. So t'ar, there has ireen no new explosion of violence as seenin Angola. But the politrcs of Jnft is rapidly reducing the chances of a peaceful future. Renamo leaderDhlakama is reponedly plannrng a vrsit to the United States in September, with the aid ot South African advisers. Although he has been intbrmed that he will not see any olficial higher than Assistant Secreury of StateMoose, rhequestionis what signai the visir might give and whether he wrll be told unequrvocally ftat t'unher delays are unacsepable. In the final days of he Bush administradon, U.S. officials reponedly told the Mozambican government rhat Washington had to be tolerant oi Renamo becauseof theu lack of experience and insecurity, but would be smcr in responding to any government violations of the peace accord. To date, despite general agreement that Renamo has repeaedly sulled on implemennng the agreement. therc has been no clear signal that this double standard has been abandoned. Mozambique's people, who have suffered through years of Renamo auociries, are now being asked to forget for the sake of reconciliauon. They deserve better.

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

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