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The Conflict with Renamo, 1976-1992
«November 1989»
Dossier MZ-0020
117. RENAMO Capture Battalion Commander; British Journalist Della Casa "Rescued" from RENAMO Camp
Above: The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) published a analysis of the MNR/Renamo and its policies. The Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher remained cautiously friendly to the Mozambican government, even assisting with some military training for FPLM soldiers in Zimbabwe. Below: A poor quality photograph of Nick Della Casa with Afonso Dhlakama during an illegal incursion into Mozambique by the British freelance journalist. Della Casa was killed in Iraq two years later.
RENAMO incursions into Zambia continued to worry the Lusaka government, which reported that peasants in Eastern Province were frightened to go to their fields, and this was "affecting development". The Zambian government also argued that RENAMO was on a dangerous path, since its patron, South Africa, was now "trying to make peace with its neighbours".
Manuel Frank, the RENAMO spokesperson in Lisbon, claimed that rebel forces has captured an FPLM battalion commander, Maj. Jossias Francisco Malungabassa, in fighting around Mossuril in Sofala province.
RENAMO units attacked Maganja da Costa in Zambézia, abducting 157 inhabitants and burning down dozens of houses. In a separate incident the rebels attacked Chongoene, near Xai-Xai, killing 22 civilians and wounding another eleven.
Click on the yellow folder image below to download an unsorted zipped archive of documents and press clippings in PDF format concerning the conflict between the Mozambican government and the MNR/Renamo in November 1989.
