via Government forces kill 15 Renamo gunmen – The Zimbabwean 13/4/2016
Maputo (AIM) – The Mozambican defence and security forces killed 15 gunmen of the rebel movement Renamo on Sunday in Barue district, in the central province of Manica, according to a source in the Ministry of the Interior, cited in the Beira daily paper “Diario de Mocambique”.
The clashes took place in the zone of Nhassacara when the Renamo group attacked government forces who were patrolling along the main road from the Manica provincial capital, Chimoio, to the western city of Tete. This road, National Highway N7, is also part of the route from the port of Beira to Zambia and Malawi.
The Ministry source told the paper that in the clashes one member of the government forces died, and three others were injured. All have received medical treatment and are now out of danger.
Traffic along the road at Nhassacara was interrupted for several hours. The clashes began at about 08.00 on Sunday morning and continued until the early afternoon. Huts at Nhassacara which housed the Renamo gunmen were burnt down.
When the traffic began moving again, it was under armed escort. The police mobilized armoured vehicles to protect motorists travelling in both directions along the highway.
According to the police, before the clashes broke out, Renamo announced to the local people that it was now governing the area.
Renamo has repeatedly threatened to seize power in six central and northern provinces (Manica, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia, Nampula and Niassa). Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama had promised his supporters that he would be governing the six provinces by the end of March, but so far, outside of Renamo military bases, the rebel movement controls nothing at all, although it is capable, as Sunday’s events show, of disrupting road transport.
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