Evo Camões Fernandes, 1944-1988

Dossier MZ-0015

Decoration

Evo Camões Fernandes nasceu na Beira e desde cedo surge ligado ao empresário de extrema-direita Jorge Jardim. Antigo inspector da polícia judiciária militar em Moçambique e jornalista (no Notícias da Beira) nos meados da década de oitenta chegou a secretário-geral do MNR (Renamo). Foi morto em circunstâncias controversas em Lisboa, em 1988, e muitos dos artigos deste dossier têm a ver com este acontecimento e o que se passou no seu rescaldo. Em Julho de 1989 o cidadão português Alexandre Chagas seria condenado por tal assassinato, num tribunal português, a 18 anos de cadeia.

Decoration

Evo Camões Fernandes was born in Beira and as a young man was an associate of the right-wing industrialist Jorge Jardim. He was a former policeman and journalist (at Notícias da Beira) who acted in the early 1980s as secretary-general of the MNR (later Renamo). He was killed in controversial circumstances in Lisbon in 1988, and most of the items in this dossier deal with that event and its aftermath. In July 1989 Alexandre Chagas was convicted of his murder in a Portuguese court, and sentenced to a gaol term of eighteen years.

In his book on Renamo, Alex Vines proposes, following evidence in Portuguese police files, that an attempt had been made to persuade Fernandes to defect to Maputo. When he refused, he was killed to avoid the possibility of a damaging scandal (Renamo: terrorism in Mozambique [London: James Currey, 1991], p.38).

The legacy of Evo Fernandes in the institutional memory of Renamo remains contested. In a widely-reported incident in October 2008, his widow, Ivete Fernandes, launched a stinging verbal attack on Afonso Dhlakama and the Renamo leadership for their failure to recognise and acknowledge the contribution that Evo Fernandes had made to the development of the MNR. ‘It was my husband who gave a political touch to Renamo in 1983’, she is quoted as saying, accusing Dhlakama of being a demagogue who was only interested in making people laugh.

Evo and Pik

The photograph above shows, from left to right, Pik Botha, the South African foreign minister, an unidentified interpreter, Afonso Dhlakama and Evo Fernandes. On the left: Evo Fernandes at a press conference.

This dossier is organised under four broad chronological headings: 1. Fernandes as an MNR Leader; 2. The Murder and the Hunt for Suspects; 3. Mozambique and Portugal: The Diplomatic Row; and, 4. The Trial and the Judgement. Click on the green buttons below to jump to the section.

Decoration

 

Trial and the Judgement Mozambique and Portugal The Murder Fernandes as an MNR Leader

1. Fernandes as a Leader of the MNR

31 March 1981
Relações luso-moçambicanas: o contencioso continua em aberto, lembra o dr. Evo Fernandes, delegado da RNM na Europa. O Diabo [Lisbon], 31 March 1981, p.12. An interview. Below the headline are four bullet points: the Soviet Union does not want to see Portugal as a partner of Mozambique; Frelimo would be suicidal to cut relations with South Africa; Mozambique will maintain its territorial integrity; and the MNR challenges Machel to hold free elections. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 174 kb.

17 July 1981
Mozambique dissident movement’s claims. Summary of World Broadcasts [London], 17 July 1981. Fernandes claims tacit agreement with the government of independent Zimbabwe that Zimbabwe will not intervene in the MNR struggle against the Mozambican government. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 96 kb.

25 June 1982
Rebel movement. International Herald Tribune [Paris], 25 June 1982. Fernandes, asked if the MNR has South African help, responds ‘Who knows?’ Click here to view or download a PDF, size 27 kb.

1 October 1982
PJ investiga actividades da «Resistência Moçambicana». O Jornal [Lisbon], 1 October 1982. The Polícia Judiciária is investigating the activities of Evo Fernandes as the representative of the MNR, at the request of the government. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 57 kb.

25 April 1983
Interview with Evo Fernandes, Moçambique National Resistance, in Lisbon 1983-04-04. Afrikagrupperna i Sverige [AGIS] [Stockholm], 25 April 1983, p.1-18. A typed document with a covering letter from the Afrikagrupperna to solidarity organisations. Most of the interview is transcribed from a recording. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 1.3 Mb.

9 July 1983
MNR chief to live in SA. Cape Times [Cape Town], 9 July 1983. After Orlando Cristina’s assassination in April, Evo Fernandes says he has been chosen to take up the post of ‘chief officer’ and will move to South Africa. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 143 kb.

October 1984
Shadowy head of MNR. Africa Now [London], October 1984, p.31. A short biographical piece on Fernandes, who is described as the MNR’s ‘head’. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 126 kb.

5 November 1984
Com colaboração portuguesa, está a preparar-se assassínio de Evo Fernandes, acusa a Renamo. Diário do Minho [Braga], 5 November 1984. Reports accusations from Paulo Oliveira that SNASP and the Portuguese embassy in Maputo worked closely together and were plotting to kill Fernandes. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 126 kb.

28 November 1984
Maurício Alberto. Carta ao primeiro-ministro da República Portuguesa. Notícias [Maputo], 28 November 1984. A letter ostensibly from an ordinary Mozambican asking, if Lt.-Col. Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho was in gaol for terrorism with FP-25, why was Evo Fernandes still at liberty in Portugal? Click here to view or download a PDF, size 99 kb.

6 December 1984
Acusações da Renamo: há sectores de decisão portugueses no plano de assassínio de Evo Fernandes. Informação Restrita Diária [CEDIMO] [Maputo], 6 December 1984, p.7-8. A clipping from an unidentified but presumably Portuguese newspaper, republished by CEDIMO, again reporting accusations that SNASP and elements of the Portuguese government were plotting to kill Fernandes. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 325 kb.

14 December 1984
Daniel Ribeiro. África do Sul deixa cair Evo Fernandes. O Jornal [Lisbon], 14 December 1984. Argues that the ‘white faction’ of the MNR, based in Lisbon, is considered by both the Mozambican and the South African governments as the main obstacle to reaching a peace agreement. If the Fernandes faction is dropped, then the Mozambican government may be willing to negotiate directly. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 242 kb.

24 December 1984
Paradela de Abreu. A verdade sobre a guerra de libertação em Moçambique (I). «As zonas já libertadas totalizam quase cinco milhões de habitantes»: Evo Fernandes, secretário-geral da RNM, fala a O Dia. O Dia [Lisbon], 24 December 1984, p.2. Includes a picture of the MNR flag with five downward-pointing arrows. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 311 kb.

Evo and Pik

27 December 1984
Paradela de Abreu. A verdade sobre a guerra de libertação em Moçambique (II). Frelimo recebeu 48 aviões «Mig's 21», faz guerra química e mata cooperantes. O Dia [Lisbon], 27 December 1984, p.13-14. Evo Fernandes argues, in the second part of the interview with O Dia, that the Frelimo government has no future, and Western powers need to understand this. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 415 kb.

20 March 1985
Mozambique: Evo Fernandes de passage à Paris, le secrétaire-général du MNR se dit sûr de la victoire. Jeune Afrique [Paris], no.1263, 20 March 1985. A short profile in French, describing Fernandes as ‘affable and polite’ but that he only had informal contacts while in Paris. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 104 kb.

20 August 1985
MNR’s Fernandes discusses foreign troop presence. Foreign Broadcast Information Service [FBIS] [Reston VA], no.FBIS-MEA-85-161, 20 August 1985, p.U-3. Transcript from the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme. Fernandes claims that there are 15,000 Zimbabwean, 7,000 Tanzanian and 3,000 Zambian troops fighting inside Mozambique. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 101 kb.

11 July 1986
Reported resignation of MNR secretary-general. A report dated 11 July 1986 from the French news agency AFP, carried by the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 302 kb.

20 December 1986
Dissension in ranks of MNR. Summary of World Broadcasts [London], 20 December 1986. The report confirms dissension in the ranks and says that Afonso Dhlakama has sacked both Evo Fernandes and Jorge Correia. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 32 kb.

2 March 1987
Mozambique National Resistance officials removed. Summary of World Broadcasts [London], no.ME/8505, 2 March 1987, p.ii. Another report stating that Fernandes and Correia have been sacked. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 495 kb.

Five Arrow Flag

Above: Translation of the caption – ‘a picture of an historical moment at the peace talks in Pretoria, in October 1984, between Frelimo [sic, i.e. the Mozambican government] and Renamo, in the presence of President P. W. Botha, in which Dr. Evo Fernandes took part as the leader of the delegation of the Mozambican Resistance Movement’. From Século de Joanesburgo.

2. The Murder and the Hunt for Suspects

April 1988
Evo Fernandes death: trail points to Maputo. Informáfrica [Lisbon], vol.1 no.8, April 1988, p.12. Claims that there exist three possible routes of Mozambican involvement in Fernandes’ death – directly through SNASP; through a SNASP-linked group; or through an ad hoc special group. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 197 kb.

20 April 1988
Missing MNR leader possible kidnap victim. Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) [Reston VA], no.FBIS-AFR-88-076, 20 April 1988, p.2-3. Teresa Lima reports from Lisbon that Fernandes disappeared after dining with Alexandre Chagas at a restaurant in Cascais. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 116 kb.

22 April 1988
Assassínio de Evo Fernandes parece resultar de operação internacional. O Jornal [Lisbon], no.687, 22 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 328 kb.

22 April 1988
Cadáver transferido para Instituto de Medicina Legal. O Jornal [Lisbon], no.687, 22 April 1988. The body has been identified as that of Evo Fernandes. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 264 kb.

22 April 1988
Governo pensa que querem prejudicar relações Portugal-Moçambique. O Jornal [Lisbon], no.687, 22 April 1988, p.2. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 58 kb.

22 April 1988
Mozambican rebel official’s body found outside Lisbon. Washington Times [Washington DC], 22 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 133 kb.

22 April 1988
Mozambique: Maputo radio comments on disappearance of former MNR leader. Summary of World Broadcasts [London], 22 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 115 kb.

22 April 1988
Soares informado. O Jornal [Lisbon], no.687, 22 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 180 kb.

23 April 1988
Evo Fernandes só foi morto três dias depois de desaparecer. Expresso [Lisbon], no.808, 23 April 1988, p.1, back. Reports that Fernandes appeared to have been shot only a short time before his body was discovered, some time after he disappeared after having dinner with Chagas and others. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 265 kb.

23 April 1988
MNR official found dead near Lisbon. Chronicle [Bulawayo], 23 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 38 kb.

23 April 1988
Mozambican bandit leader shot dead in Portugal. Herald [Harare], 23 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 140 kb.

25 April 1988
Antigo secretário-geral da Renamo apareceu assassinado nos arredores de Cascais. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 25 April 1988, p.3, 16. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 252 kb.

25 April 1988
Evo Camões Fernandes: mais um lider da Renamo abatido. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 25 April 1988, p.1. The front-page lead story. The subtitle, in red, reads ‘In the web of mysterious and unpunished killings, it’s perhaps known for the first time who killed and why’. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 1.0 Mb.

25 April 1988
Former spokesman speculates. Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) [Reston VA], no.FBIS-AFR-88-079, 25 April 1988, p.4. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 222 kb.

25 April 1988
Further on death of MNR’s Fernandes: Gruveta denies allegations. Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) [Reston VA], no.FBIS-AFR-88-079, 25 April 1988, p.4. Maj.-Gen. Bonifácio Gruveta denies that he was in Lisbon just before Fernandes was killed. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 258 kb.

25 April 1988
[Newspaper photograph]. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 25 April 1988. A colour picture of Fernandes at the October 1984 press conference. From left to right: Fernandes, unidentified, Magnus Malan, unidentified, P. W. Botha, Pik Botha, unidentified, Jacinto Veloso. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 523 kb.

25 April 1988
Os «pupilos» de Jorge Jardim. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 25 April 1988, p.3. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 56 kb.

25 April 1988
SA may have wanted bandit dead: Fernandes latest victim of MNR faction fighting. Herald [Harare], 25 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 191 kb.

25 April 1988
Um crime que promete ficar sem solução. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 25 April 1988, p.3. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 36 kb.

25 April 1988
Machado da Graça. Station comments. Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) [Reston VA], no.FBIS-AFR-88-079, 25 April 1988, p.4-5. A commentary by the Mozambican journalist. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 274 kb.

26 April 1988
[Untitled news story]. Star [Johannesburg], 26 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 91 kb.

26 April 1988
Who killed MNR’s Evo Fernandes? Sowetan [Johannesburg], 26 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 221 kb.

28 April 1988
Mozambican foreign minister denies link with Fernandes’s death. Pascoal Mocumbi told journalists in Lisbon that Mozambique had nothing to do with the death of Fernandes; reported in the Summary of World Broadcasts [London], 28 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 32 kb.

29 April 1988
Antecessores de Evo? Mortes suspeitas entre refugiados. O Jornal [Lisbon], no.688, 29 April 1988, p.18. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 107 kb.

29 April 1988
Armas compradas em Lisboa mataram Evo Fernandes. O Jornal [Lisbon], no.688, 29 April 1988, p.18. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 111 kb.

29 April 1988
Meets press on arrival. Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) [Reston VA], no.FBIS-AFR-88-083, 29 April 1988, p.5-6. More on Mocumbi’s comments in Lisbon. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 93 kb.

29 April 1988
MNR murder brings fresh peace hopes. Africa Analysis [London], 29 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 166 kb.

30 April 1988
Editorial: a morte de Evo Fernandes. Expresso [Lisbon], no.809, 30 April 1988. Says that the death of Fernandes is the first act of terrorism committed on Portuguese soil for political reasons by a foreign organisation. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 74 kb.

30 April 1988
Evo foi raptado três dias depois de voltar a Lisboa. Expresso [Lisbon], no.809, 30 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 58 kb.

30 April 1988
Mozambique: the murder of Evo Fernandes. Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris], no.330, 30 April 1988, p.3. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 143 kb.

30 April 1988
J. Henriques Coimbra and Joaquim Vieira. Suspeito no assassínio de Evo Fernandes: Chagas trazia no bolso 1500 contos em «rands». Expresso [Lisbon], no.809, 30 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 567 kb.

1 May 1988
Christina Hippisley. Queries over death of MNR leader still abound. Sunday Star [Johannesburg], 1 May 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 102 kb.

2 May 1988
Mozambique: three arrested on charges of terrorism. Mozambican radio broadcast of 2 May 1988, reported in the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. It is possible that this report refers inaccurately to the arrest of Chagas. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 834 kb.

3 May 1988
Mozambique: three Portuguese citizens arrested for terrorism. Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) [Reston VA], no.FBIS-AFR-88-085, 3 May 1988. This Lisbon radio report of 2 May 1988 may possibly refer in a muddled way to the arrest of Chagas and two others in Morocco and France. See also a similar report in the Summary of World Broadcasts. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 43 kb.

4 May 1988
Mozambique: suspects seized in slaying of Fernandes. Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) [Reston VA], no.FBIS-AFR-88-086, 4 May 1988, p.1. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 320 kb.

4 May 1988
Three held in hunt for killers of leading Mozambican rebel. Guardian [London], 4 May 1988. Reuters reports that Alexandre Chagas and Joaquim da Conceição Messias were arrested in Casablanca on Friday 29 April 1988; Manuel Pinto da Costa was arrested in Paris on Saturday 30 April 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 39 kb.

5 May 1988
Iain Christie. MNR killings: sign of internal conflicts? Daily Times [Blantyre], 5 May 1988, p.8. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 116 kb.

6 May 1988
Homicídio de Evo Fernandes: patrão da DCCB actuou em Marrocos. O Jornal [Lisbon], no.689, 6 May 1988, p.16. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 794 kb.

7 May 1988
Assassínio de Evo Fernandes: todas as pistas vão dar a Maputo. Expresso [Lisbon], no.810, 7 May 1988, p.1, 3. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 171 kb.

7 May 1988
Mozambique: three arrested over Fernandes death. Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris], no.331, 7 May 1988, p.4. This report muddles SNASP with the Portuguese intelligence services. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 94 kb.

9 May 1988
Evo Fernandes: quem e porquê? Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 9 May 1988, p.7. Includes a chronology, a piece on other MNR figures who were killed, a brief biography of Fernandes, and a piece on Alexandre Chagas. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 307 kb.

9 May 1988
Kingsley Osadolor. And the death merchant died: MNR chieftain abducted and slain in Portugal. African Guardian [Lagos], 9 May 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 146 kb.

13 May 1988
Caso Evo Fernandes causa mal-estar na polícia. O Jornal [Lisbon], no.690, 13 May 1988. Orlando Romano, the director of the Portuguese Central Directorate Against Banditry (DCCB) has become involved in the Fernandes case. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 60 kb.

13 May 1988
[Untitled news item]. Africa Economic Digest [London], 13 May 1988. A somewhat delayed version of the 2 May report [see above] that three Portuguese had been arrested, in Mozambique, for sabotage. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 794 kb.

14 May 1988
Relógio de Evo dará pistas? Expresso [Lisbon], no.811, 14 May 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 78 kb.

15 May 1988
Mozambique: rebel leader murdered. Africa Research Bulletin [Political, Social, and Cultural Series] [Exeter], 15 May 1988. Summarises reports from the Financial Times [London], 23 April 1988 and the Guardian [London], 4 May 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 56 kb.

20 May 1988
A turma de Ivete: até a morte de Evo Fernandes as colegas não sabiam quem era ela. O Jornal [Lisbon], no.691, 20 May 1988, p.22. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 316 kb.

21 May 1988
Funeral de Evo dia 28. Expresso [Lisbon], no.812, 21 May 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 29 kb.

23 May 1988
Assassínio de Evo Fernandes: governo de Lisboa já pediu a extradição dos suspeitos. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 23 May 1988. Even though there is no extradition treaty between Portugal and Morroco, Chagas is likely to be handed over. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 50 kb.

27 May 1988
Funeral de Evo Fernandes marcado para sábado. O Jornal [Lisbon], no.692, 27 May 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 43 kb.

28 May 1988
Ignácio Natividade. A morte de Evo Fernandes: esclarecimento. Expresso [Lisbon], no.813, 28 May 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 518 kb.

30 May 1988
Dirigentes da Renamo no funeral de Evo Fernandes. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 30 May 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 61 kb.

31 May 1988
André Thomashausen. To every thing there is a season: remembering my friend Evo Camões Fernandes. International Freedom Foundation [Washington DC], 31 May 1988, p.1-8. Typescript, with covering letter, 31 May 1988. Page 7 is missing. The International Freedom Foundation was a South African-funded lobbying group based in Washington DC with an anti-communist programme. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 503 kb.

June 1988
Evo Fernandes: sem dúvida, o SNASP. África Confidencial [Lisbon], no.26, June 1988, p.13. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 228 kb.

June 1988
Fernandes: killer trail points to SNASP. Informáfrica [Lisbon], vol.1 no.9, June 1988, p.13. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 205 kb.

5 June 1988
André Thomashausen. They broke every bone in his body. Weekend Argus [Cape Town], 5 June 1988. Published version of the Thomashausen obituary circulated earlier by the IFF (see above). Click here to view or download a PDF, size 415 kb.

10 June 1988
J. Henriques Coimbra. Evo Fernandes deixa Renamo sem dinheiro. Expresso [Lisbon], 10 June 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 141 kb.

18 June 1988
Ivete Fernandes. Evo Fernandes e as dificuldades da Renamo. Expresso [Lisbon], 18 June 1988. A response to the article «Evo Fernandes deixa Renamo sem dinheiro». Click here to view or download a PDF, size 84 kb.

July 1988
Paul Fauvet. Death of a terrorist agent. Moto [Harare], no.67, July 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 145 kb.

2 July 1988
Suspeito da morte de Evo extraditado para Portugal. Expresso [Lisbon], 2 July 1988. Manuel Jorge Pinto da Costa has been extradited to Portugal. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 26 kb.

19 September 1988
Mistério Evo Fernandes: novas pistas apontam para questões estratégicas e dinheiros da Renamo. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 19 September 1988, p.3. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 368 kb.

23 September 1988
Presumíveis assassinos de Evo extraditados quando Cavaco visitar Marrocos. O Jornal [Lisbon], 23 September 1988, p.34. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 460 kb.

14 October 1988
Cavaco traz assassinos de Evo? O primeiro-ministro vai estar quatro dias em Marrocos e avista-se com o rei Hassan II. O Jornal [Lisbon], 14 October 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 55 kb.

15 October 1988
Assassínio de Evo Fernandes: Chagas e Messias já estão em Lisboa. Expresso [Lisbon], 15 October 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 118 kb.

17 October 1988
Extraditados de Marrocos para Portugal os principais suspeitos na morte de Evo Fernandes. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 17 October 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 74 kb.

21 October 1988
Rogério Rodrigues. Chagas fala de tudo menos dos executores de Evo: autoridades fintaram os jornalistas em Marrocos. O Jornal [Lisbon], 21 October 1988, p.27. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 368 kb.

12 November 1988
Cavaco recusa receber Ivete. África Confidencial [Lisbon], 12 November 1988. The Portuguese Prime Minister, Cavaco Silva, refuses an audience to Ivete Fernandes. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 31 kb.

12 November 1988
Polícia perto de desvendar todo o crime: Chagas e Messias mataram Evo Fernandes. Expresso [Lisbon], 12 November 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 103 kb.

25 November 1988
Evo sabia de mais. O Jornal [Lisbon], 25 November 1988. Alleges that Evo Fernandes knew too much about the Cahora Bassa agreement. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 31 kb.

17 December 1988
Chagas confessou ter morto Evo Fernandes: ordem para matar foi dada pela polícia moçambicana. Expresso [Lisbon], 17 December 1988. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 184 kb.

9 January 1989
Jill Jolliffe. Maputo gave order to kill Renamo man. Guardian [London], 9 January 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 47 kb.

11 January 1989
Security service denies killing Renamo official. Mozambican radio broadcast on 11 January 1989, reported in the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) [Reston VA]. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 45 kb.

14 January 1989
O SNASP, Chagas e Evo. África Confidencial [Lisbon], 14 January 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 57 kb.

February 1989
Who killed Evo Fernandes. Front File: Southern Africa Brief [Johannesburg], February 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 34 kb.

4 March 1989
Revelations about Evo Fernandes murder. Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris], 4 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 45 kb.

14 March 1989
Terrorismo nunca foi método da Frelimo, reafirma, em Lisboa, Sérgio Vieira a propósito do assassinato de Evo Fernandes. Notícias [Maputo], 14 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 317 kb.

3. Mozambique and Portugal: The Diplomatic Row

16 March 1989
Mozambique rejects Portuguese request for waiver of diplomat’s immunity. Maputo radio broadcast of 16 March 1989 translated and transcribed in the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 63 kb.

16 March 1989
[Portuguese government considering response]. Lisbon radio broadcast of 16 March 1989 translated and transcribed in the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 32 kb.

17 March 1989
Editorial: transformar a vítima em culpado. Notícias [Maputo], 17 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 166 kb.

17 March 1989
RPM não está envolvida na morte de Evo Fernandes, reitera MNE, ao recusar retirar imunidade a diplomata moçambicano em Lisboa. Notícias [Maputo], 17 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 83 kb.

18 March 1989
[Cavaco Silva’s reaction]. Radio Renascenca, Lisbon, on 18 March 1989, reported by the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 56 kb.

18 March 1989
Diplomat expelled. Guardian [London], 18 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 168 kb.

18 March 1989
Mozambique: Portuguese diplomat expelled. Radio broadcast of 18 March 1989 reported by the Summary of World Broadcasts. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 49 kb.

18 March 1989
Portugal expulsa diplomata moçambicano: retirado guarnição da Embaixada da RPM em Lisboa cujo pessoal tem recebido ameaças de morte. Notícias [Maputo], 18 March 1989. After Portugal expelled Rafael Custódio Marques, Mozambique reacted by expelling José Marcelino da Silva Pereira, the Portuguese trade attaché. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 116 kb.

18 March 1989
Martha de la Cal. Maputo rejects Lisbon call. Times [London], 18 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 105 kb.

19 March 1989
Envoy expelled. Observer [London], 19 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 687 kb.

20 March 1989
Assassínio de Evo Fernandes gera tensões, governo português expulsa diplomata moçambicano: Moçambique dá ordens de expulsão ao conselheiro comercial e Cavaco Silva reage classificando a atitude de mera retaliação . Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 20 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 216 kb.

20 March 1989
Expulso da RPM diplomata português. Notícias [Maputo], 20 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 41 kb.

20 March 1989
Rafael Marques regressou de Lisboa. Notícias [Maputo], 20 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 60 kb.

20 March 1989
Robin Worsley. [Untitled filed story]. Observer Foreign News Service [London], 20 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 251 kb.

21 March 1989
Esperamos que as nossas relações não sejam afectadas, afirmou o Ministro Mocumbi comentando sobre a expulsão de diplomatas da RPM e de Portugal. Notícias [Maputo], 21 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 236 kb.

23 March 1989
Mozambican foreign minister on relations with Portugal following expulsion of diplomats. Summary of World Broadcasts [London], no.ME/0416, 23 March 1989, p.B/3. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 99 kb.

25 March 1989
Mozambique: Portuguese diplomat expelled. Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris], 25 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 42 kb.

29 March 1989
Paul Fauvet. Row rouses anti-Maputo drive in Portugal. Guardian [New York], 29 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 208 kb.

April 1989
All because of Evo Fernandes. MozambiqueFile [Maputo], April 1989, p.6. Includes a box, Blaming the Victim. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 246 kb.

15 April 1989
Mozambique-Portugal: diplomat expelled. Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series [Exeter], vol.26 no.3, 15 April 1989. Summarises a story from the Guardian [London], 20 March 1989. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 44 kb.

30 April 1989
Fabião Mabuto. É justo expulsar representante moçambicano porque um bandido morreu? Tempo [Maputo], no.968, 30 April 1989, p.38. A letter to the editor. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 83 kb.

4. The Trial and the Judgement

10 April 1989
Chagas suicida. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 10 April 1989. Recycles a report in the Lisbon weekly Expresso that Alexandre Chagas tried to commit suicide in prison some months before. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 238 kb.

26 April 1989
Fernandes case defendant now denies Mozambique involvement. SouthScan [London], vol.4 no.16, 26 April 1989. Chagas withdraws his testimony to the effect that he received money and an escape plan from the Mozambicans. It was this that had led to the expulsion of the diplomat Rafael Marques and the tit-for-tat expulsion from Maputo the month before. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 54 kb.

27 May 1989
SNASP: as chagas do assassinato de Evo. Informáfrica [Lisbon], 27 May 1989, p.5. There is a pun in the title, as the surname of one of the accused, Alexandre Chagas, also means ‘wounds’ in Portuguese. The article argues that Chagas knew SNASP high-ups, that his daughter was living in the same safe-house as Renamo deserter Paulo Oliveira, and that the whole assassination operation – including the denials of SNASP involvement – was planned and carried out at the behest of SNASP. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 259 kb.

30 May 1989
Miguel Alvarenga. Pela primeira vez juntos, depois das prisões, assassinos de Evo Fernandes falam a «O Diabo». O Diabo [Lisbon], 30 May 1989, p.10-12. Of the three accused, Alexandre Xavier Chagas reportedly refuses to say anything about SNASP, Joaquim Messias says that if Chagas was paid, he didn’t see any cash, and Manuel Pinto da Costa refuses to speak until after the verdict. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 607 kb.

5 June 1989
Assassínio de Evo Fernandes é caso encerrado para Barroso. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 5 June 1989. Durão Barroso, the Portuguese secretary of state for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, says the Fernandes case is closed from a diplomatic point of view. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 80 kb.

14 June 1989
Bid to prevent Lisbon healing rift on Fernandes killing. SouthScan [London], vol.4 no.23, 14 June 1989, p.175. Summarises the Informáfrica story of 27 May for English-language readers, with some added details. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 128 kb.

20 June 1989
Miguel Alvarenga. «O Diabo» está a dar-me dores de cabeça! O Diabo [Lisbon], 20 June 1989. A story about letters that Alexandre Chagas is supposed to have written to Mozambican security officials, with facsimiles. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 976 kb.

17 July 1989
Marcada para amanhã em Cascais a leitura da sentença do julgamento do assassino de Evo Fernandes. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 17 July 1989. The trial of Chagas and his co-accused generated a six-volume trial record of 1,274 pages. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 223 kb.

24 July 1989
Assassino de Evo Fernandes condenado a 18 anos de prisão. Século de Joanesburgo [Johannesburg], 24 July 1989. Chagas, who maintained that he acted on his own initiative in killing Fernandes, is sentenced to 18 years. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 276 kb.

24 July 1989
[Untitled news item]. Africa Economic Digest [London], 24 July 1989. Alexandre Chagas is sentenced to 18 years and Joaquim Messias to eight-and-a-half years in prison. Chagas claimed he killed Fernandes in self-defence. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 34 kb.

29 July 1989
Relief all round as SNASP is put in the clear. SouthScan [London], vol.4 no.29, 29 July 1989, p.223. The judgement in the trial of Chagas and others concludes that allegations of SNASP involvement in the killing were not proven. Manuel Pinto da Costa was acquitted, and an indemnity of US$110,000 was awarded to the widow, Ivete Fernandes. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 51 kb.

3 May 1991
Ângela Caires. Caso Evo Fernandes: Chagas quer caçar crocodilos. O Jornal [Lisbon], 3 May 1991. Report on a business plan by Chagas. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 150 kb.

13 August 1991
Vera Lagoa. Eu, moçambicana, me confesso. O Diabo [Lisbon], 13 August 1991. An editorialising piece by Vera Lagoa, the pseudonym of Maria Armanda Falcão (1917-1996), the owner and director, who was born in Mozambique. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 92 kb.

17 June 2001
Francisco Rodolfo. Renamo, da eliminação de Evo Fernandes ao 4º Congresso. Domingo [Maputo], 17 June 2001, p.9. In a piece satirising Renamo’s disorganised attempts to hold a party congress, Rodolfo criticises Afonso Dhlakama for not allowing any debate about how Evo Fernandes and Orlando Cristina were killed. Click here to view or download a PDF, size 110 kb.

 

Decoration