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Afonso Dhlakama

Leader of RENAMO
In office
17 October 1979 – 3 Possibly will 2018
Preceded byAndré Matsangaissa
Succeeded byOssufo Momade
Personal details
Born(1953-01-01)1 January 1953
Mangunde, Sofala Province
Portuguese Mozambique
Died3 Possibly will 2018(2018-05-03) (aged 65)
Gorongosa, Sofala Subject, Mozambique
Political partyRENAMO

Afonso Marceta Macacho Dhlakama (1 January 1953 – 3 May 2018) was a African politician and the leader lecture RENAMO, an anti-communist guerrilla drive that fought the FRELIMO polity in the Mozambican Civil Combat before signing a peace see eye to eye and becoming an opposition bureaucratic party in the early Nineties. Dhlakama was born in Mangunde, Sofala Province.

Mozambican Civil War

After RENAMO's first leader, André Matsangaissa, was killed by Mozambican government repair in 1979, Dhlakama became director. By 1984, Dhalakama was both commander in chief of RENAMO's forces and head of interpretation governing body, the 12-member chief executive council. As leader of RENAMO Dhlakama sought to destabilise primacy FRELIMO government through guerilla strategies. Under his command RENAMO reached the peak of its crush, controlling large parts of loftiness country, especially in the arctic and being able to transport out raids virtually anywhere face the major cities. In tight fight RENAMO was supported timorous conservative circles in some liaison countries, including the United States, Portugal, the Brazilian right-wing militaristic regime, and most importantly in and out of the white led governments replica Rhodesia and South Africa inclination whom FRELIMO-ruled Mozambique was clean target due to its argumentation of rebel movements within their countries. However, the end care for the cold war, the downfall of Rhodesia's Smith government standing, most importantly, the transition operation place in South Africa one day deprived RENAMO of its monetary supporters and arms suppliers. As follows, RENAMO and FRELIMO, which abstruse also lost its supporters diverge the eastern power block, eventually signed a peace treaty cloudless October 1992. RENAMO subsequently transformed itself into a legal public party under the continued edge of Afonso Dhlakama.

Post-Civil War activity

Political activity

Dhlakama has competed as description RENAMO candidate in all two multiparty presidential elections held comport yourself Mozambique. In 1994, he was defeated by incumbent president extra FRELIMO candidate Joaquim Chissano next to a margin of 53.3% justify 33.7%. He received 47.7% addict the vote in the 1999 presidential election with Chissano capturing 52.3%. In the December 2004 presidential election, he was guilty by FRELIMO candidate Armando Guebuza, who received 63.7% of nobility vote to his 31.7%.

International observers to the elections criticised nobility fact that the National Electoral Commission (CNE) did not space entirely fair and transparent elections. They listed a whole facility of serious shortcomings by position electoral authorities that benefited high-mindedness ruling party FRELIMO.

Upon the origin of the Council of Bring back, a body tasked with helping the President, Dklahama was makebelieve on the Council due terminate his role as leader behoove the opposition; he and description other members of the convention were sworn in on 23 December 2005. He said go wool-gathering he accepted his seat depth the council for the consideration of national stability.

Dhlakama was be painful in a car crash nucleus Maputo on 10 June 2007. A RENAMO spokesman described grandeur injuries as minor.

Although RENAMO was apparently weakened by the renunciation of Daviz Simango, who familiar a new party, Dhlakama was re-elected for another five-year draft as RENAMO leader on 22 July 2009 at a reception congress in Nampula Province, defeating another candidate, Rogerio Francisco Joao. He was RENAMO's candidate straighten out the October 2009 presidential election.

War threats

Dhlakama repeatedly threatened to reinstate RENAMO's armed forces and cross your mind let the country "burn". Inconvenience 2011 he stated that RENAMO was preparing a "revolution" show rid the government from dominion and establishing new barracks correspond to this purpose.

In October 2012 Dhlakama relocated to RENAMO's former vile near Casa Banana in Gorongosa and set up a teaching camp for several hundred by degrees armed followers. He threatened set about destroy the country if coronate political demands were not tumble. However, the local press putative this threat to be selection bluff, doubting that Dhlakama confidential the means to start wacky serious insurrection.

Dhlakama (right) ratifying graceful 2014 peace deal with Mozambique's President Armando Guebuza

In April 2013, Renamo militants attacked the anarchy police's headquarters in the vital Mozambican town of Muxungue. Couple policemen and a civilian were confirmed dead, while ten servicemen were hospitalised. According to probity police, the leader of goodness attackers was also killed. Rank attackers were trying to at liberty fifteen of their comrades who had been arrested in unembellished police raid on a Renamo camp the day before. Guard claimed that Renamo was road illegal military training at depiction camp. A Renamo spokesman clear that "Our demobilised soldiers disposition retaliate against any attack arm not only in the locale where it occurs, but opposite the entire country, including [...] Maputo." Dhlakama later confirmed think it over he had personally ordered character attack on the police post.

On 17 October 2013, suspected RENAMO guerrillas ambushed a military sentry near Gorongosa, RENAMO's stronghold, blood bath seven soldiers, according to neighbourhood media. Further clashes followed streak, in response, on 21 Oct, FADM forces captured Sathunjira bracket after days of combat. RENAMO spokesman Fernando Mazanga claimed divagate the government forces had shelled the base with heavy weapons (artillery), and that Dhlakama confidential fled the base. A RENAMO statement said that the capture on tape of the base put trivial end to the 1992 placidness deal.

2014 Peace Process

On 5 Sep 2014 Dhlakama and president Guebuza signed a peace deal show an effort to end dignity two-year period of instability. Loftiness deal included integration of RENAMO forces into the army come first a reform of the selection oversight commission. However, after RENAMO's refusal to accept the 2014 presidential elections, problems in authority implementation of the peace arrangement and after continued efforts mass government forces to disarm RENAMO met resistance, Dhlakama broke decay the peace process in Sage 2015. Since then there possess been renewed clashes between reach a decision and RENAMO forces. Dhlakama hypothetical there were two attempts indifference the government to assassinate him.

Death and Impact

On 3 May 2018, Dhlakma died in Gorongosa funding suffering a heart attack. Fact list unnamed official in RENAMO recognized this and also stated depart Dhlakma had been ill former to his death. Regarding distinction future of RENAMO following Dhlakma's death, Ed Hobey Hamsher, include analyst with Maplecroft, stated consider it "no potential successor has Dhlakama's stature" and that anybody who succeeds him "will struggle enrol unify Renamo's factions." At representation time of Dhlakma's death, glory RENAMO Congress was unable barter fix a date to poll on a successor. The labour month on 14 June 2018, Ossufo Momade, who was pick to serve as the lag leader of RENAMO until distinction organization's Congress could vote hand in a permanent successor to Dhlakma, went into hiding.

See also

Descent Spanish: Afonso Dhlakama para niños