Chimoio (Mozambique (AIM) – The Mozambican police have denied that Renamo gunmen are active in Mossurize district, in the central province of Manica.
Source: No Renamo gunmen in Mossurize, say police – The Zimbabwean 28/04/2016
The denial follows rumours circulating in the province that early on Tuesday morning Renamo burnt down a police post in Chaiva locality, and the premises where the Chiurairue administrative post is currently functioning.
Speaking to reporters, the spokesperson for the Manica Provincial Police Command, Elsidia Filipe, said that a police camp was indeed burnt down, but she blamed this on “unknown individuals still at large”.
“It’s not Renamo men”, she said. The incident involved a unit of the frontier guard, which had been carrying out a routine patrol. It set up camp in an area, and when the frontier guard left the place “unknown people set it on fire, and burnt down a shed”.
She insisted it was not Renamo, and described the act as “pure banditry”. The police were working to identify the individuals responsible.
After some moments of tension, life in Mossurize district had returned to normal, she said. “We want to reassure the public, and say that the situation in Mossurize is regarded as calm. People can go about their daily activities normally because security is guaranteed”.
“There is no movement by gunmen anywhere in that district”, Filipe added. “The police are continuing to work and, in general, we can say that tranquillity has been re-established throughout Manica province”.
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