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The Conflict with Renamo, 1976-1992
«February 1991»
Dossier MZ-0020
132. Nyamapanda Truck Route through Tete Reopens; Secret Renamo-Malawi Accord Alleged
Above: Elite Mozambican (FPLM) troops (the "red berets") during a ceremonial march-past. A red beret indicated FPLM units trained in the Soviet Union, while the FPLM's "green berets" were British-trained. The Mozambican army was ultimately unable to secure a military victory over Renamo, even with assistance from Zimbabwean and Tanzanian troops, and despite various attempts at re-organisation and re-training.
Early in the month a research NGO based in Harare claimed that there was a secret agreement between Renamo and the Malawian authorities under the terms of which Renamo promised to leave the Nyapanda-Lilongwe road route through Tete alone. However, after Zimbabwean military protection for convoys was lifted under the partial cease-fire agreement of December, attacks increased and the road was closed briefly for a few days in January. Traffic on the route reportedly began to move again around 11 February.
Meanwhile, some villagers along the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border were reportedly living in fear of what one report termed "murderous raids" by Renamo on Zimbabwean territory. Others, especially Ndau-speakers in Chipinge district were apparently sympathetic to the Mozambican rebels: this was an area that had voted against ZANU-PF in recent elections, and in support of Ndabaningi Sithole's ZANU-Ndonga opposition group.
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 February 1991. Note: there are presently no Mozambican sources in this archive.
