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The Conflict with Renamo, 1976-1992
«May 1990»
Dossier MZ-0020
123. Renamo Accuses Government of "Bad Faith"
In Planning Major Offensive
Above: Well-equipped infantry of the Forças Populares de Libertação de Moçambique (FPLM or Mozambican People's Liberation Forces), as they were known until August 1994, marching in a parade.
At the beginning of May the representatives of the rebel group Renamo in Lisbon accused the Mozambican government of acting in bad faith in planning a major military offensive while sensitive negotiations were underway to begin direct peace talks. It was claimed that 1,000 Zimbabwean and 700 Mozambican soldiers were flown to Gorongosa in preparation for an assault on the Renamo heartland. Other reports had the number of troops as high as 3,600. At the same time President Joaquim Chissano offered direct talks in Malawi, but this was turned down, as was an offer of mediation by President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
A family of four South Africans who were sailing up the Mozambican coast to Bazaruto were taken by Renamo to a nearby base after they beached their damaged yacht near Vilanculos. Rumours of the imminent sacking of Minister of Defence and struggle veteran Alberto Chipande, as well as other top military commanders, were firat reported in April and continued to circulate.
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 May 1990.
