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The Conflict with Renamo, 1976-1992
«June 1984»
Dossier MZ-0020
52. "A Portuguese Silenced in His Own Country";
Mozambique Demands SA Honour Nkomati
Above: As Renamo stepped up its attacks, the Mozambican government intensified its policy of providing militia training and some arms to the citizenry. There were reports that in some localities, local people were arming themselves with so-called "traditional weapons".
By June 1984, the Mozambican government had become highly dissatisfied with South Africa's failure - deliberate or not - to honour the clauses in the Nkomati Accord in which Pretoria undertook to exercise control over Renamo and other forces acting against Mozambique. In fact, Renamo's activities had stepped up, with attacks in June, for example, against a bus near Namaacha in which ten people died and 19 were wounded. By the end of the month Renamo was operating in the outskirts of the capital, destroying shops near the airport: the objective was to begin to strangle the city.
In a significant diplomatic victory for Frelimo, the Portuguese government moved to prohibit Renamo activities in the country, beginning by closing down a planned press conference in a Lisbon hotel – a decision that led to outraged headlines in the local conservativce press: "cidadão português calado no próprio país!"
Consolidated Downloadable Zipped Files
Click on the yellow folder image below to download an unsorted zipped archive of documents and press clippings in PDF format concerning the armed conflict between Renamo/MNR and the Mozambican government in June 1984.
