SAS WP21 Secret Stockpiles
SAS WP21 Secret Stockpiles
SAS WP21 Secret Stockpiles
Secret Stockpiles
Arms Caches and Disarmament Efforts
in Mozambique
By Gary Littlejohn
Cartography by MAPgrafix
Typeset in Optima and Palatino by Nicoletta Forni
Printed by nbmedia in Geneva, Switzerland
ISBN 978-2-940548-16-3
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Maps
1 Mozambique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Tables
TANZANIA
L. Malawi
ZAMBIA CABO
NIASSA DELGADO
Lichinga Pemba
MALAWI
o
L u ri
Lilongwe
Nampula
TETE
L. Cahora
Bassa Zambezi NAMPULA
Tete
ZAMBZIA
MOZAMBIQUE
A B W E
Quelimane
SOFALA
Chimoio
MANICA
M B
Beira
INDIAN
ZI
Save
OCEAN
Lim
INHAMBANE
po
po
GAZA
Inhambane
SOUTH
AFRICA
MAPUTO
Xai-Xai International
boundary
Province
Maputo boundary
Capital city
Mbabane Province capital
0 km 200 Selected roads
SWAZILAND
More than 20 years have passed since the peace process in Mozambique con-
cluded in late 1994. The process was overseen by a United Nations Operation in
Mozambique (ONUMOZ), which was carried out during the peace agreement
between the Government of Mozambique and Resistncia Nacional Moam-
bicana (Mozambican National Resistance, RENAMO) 1 in October 1992 and
which lasted until 9 December 1994.2 The governing party, Frente de Liber-
tao de Moambique (Mozambique Liberation Front, FRELIMO), had been
conducting lengthy, complex negotiations with RENAMO rebel forces for
some timenegotiations which resulted in a ceasefire for the country on 4
October 1992 (Vines, 2013, p. 178). The General Peace Accord for Mozambique
(GPA) provided for the disarmament of both parties and for the integration
of reduced FRELIMO and RENAMO forces into a single national army.
The disarmament process that followed was fraught with difficulties,
mainly arising from mistrust between the two signatories of the GPA.
Despite various and repeated attempts, the process of arms collection was
limited and there was considerable concern about hidden stockpiles guarded
by RENAMO (Vines, 1998, pp. 19293). One reason for this concern was the
significant increase in armed crime in South Africa noted since 1989, which
in part was attributed to arms leaking from the Mozambican conflict across
the shared border (Vines, 1998, p. 203). Within Mozambique it was feared that
armed conflict would reignite if political differences persisted. In response
to certain disagreements with FRELIMO, many of which pertained to elec-
tion processes, RENAMO periodically threatened to return to armed conflict.
Such threats seemed credible because of RENAMOs hidden arms caches.
Although RENAMO initially fared well in national elections, its perfor-
mance deteriorated over time, and periodically its leadership resorted to the
threat of armed conflict as a means to secure high-level negotiations with the
government. There was little armed conflict, however, until almost 20 years
after the end of the peace process.
Chissano met President P.W. Botha of South Africa at Songo in Tete Province
and secured a pledge to abide by the earlier Nkomati Accord which this time was
thought to have been largely honoured (Rupiya, 1998, p. 14).
FRELIMO was cautious about the outcome of the agreement and the uncer-
tain effectiveness of the involvement of ONUMOZ. Certain British citizens
living in Mozambique at the time reported that ONUMOZ was set up with
limited funding and was thus eager to declare itself a success, precisely
in contrast to the failure of the UN in Angola. ONUMOZ had held fairly
fractious relations with the Government of Mozambique and had acted
unilaterally at times.10
Notes: indicates the party did not participate in election in the year indicated.
Percentages given may not total exactly 100 due to rounding of numbers.
Sources: Hanlon (2014j, p. 2; 2014l, p. 1); Vines (2013, p. 383)
MDM 8.5
Note: indicates the party did not participate in election in the year indicated.
Sources: Hanlon (2014l, p. 2); Vines (2013, p. 384)
UD 9
MDM 8 17
Note: indicates the party did not participate in election in the year indicated.
Sources: Hanlon (2014j, p. 3); Vines (2013, p. 384)
been destroyed by 1994. The return of war in Angola following its elections
in October 1992 may have affected prevailing attitudes in Mozambique, too.16
Arms caches are by nature contentious, but even more so when elections
are pending and political tensions are running high. Hunguana argues
that, as a political party, RENAMO should have had no armed forces and
that this mistake stems from the incomplete implementation of the GPA
(Hunguana, 2013).
By the end of the ONUMOZ mandate, many caches reported had not been
verified by the CCF and RENAMO had halted all verification of its declared
locations. Despite this, the Mozambican government declined a UN proposal
to maintain a small team in the country in the post-ONUMOZ period, with
which to complete the small arms and light weapons verification process
(Vines, 1998, p. 195). Collections were carried out at both AAs and CTNAs.
Troops were expected to arrive at AAs and hand over their weapons. Because
Total 207,026
Note: These figures are based on the Final Report of the Chairman of the CCF; they exclude
6,925 counted items (vehicles and heavy weapons) also collected.
Source: Berman (1996, p. 88)
both sides were reluctant to do this, ONUMOZ had to seek out troops who
were assembled and housed, but not in the official AAs. Troops who were
still expected to participate in disarmament were in the CTNAs. In total, the
UN handed in 180,000 small arms and light weapons to the new Mozam-
bican army, but destroyed only 24,000 (Vines, 1998, p. 194). Table 4 indicates a
higher reported figure of arms submitted, however.
When figures for collections at the AAs and CTNAs include the 6,925
heavier items (i.e. those excluded from total in Table 4), they yield totals of
94,063 for government weapons and 17,468 for RENAMO weapons.
In an attempt to keep the peace process on track, certain creative
responses were developed (Berman, 1996, p. 85). They included a Reintegra-
tion Support Scheme (RSS) of monthly support for two years in cash (Vines,
2013, p. 380) for each demobilized soldier and the verification phase of disar-
mament. While the verification phase recorded substantial additional mili-
tary equipment, the process was noteworthy for highlighting its potential
achievements, rather than its actual results (Berman, 1996, p. 85). The greatest
weakness of ONUMOZ was that it did not effectively prioritize disarmament.
Title of Number of
Operation Date small arms Provinces as provided
Rachel (OR) collected
September/October
OR II 488
1996
OR Ad Hoc 2 12
OR VI (4) 448
OR VI (5) 381
AKM 4,671
MG 41
PPX 561
Bazooka 150
Machine guns PK 77
Mauser 283
G3 186
Semi-automatics 263
Grenade launchers 50
Rifles 520
FBP 109
M20 32
ZG1 5
Total 7,850
Summary of disarmament
To calculate the possible scale of the RENAMO arms caches never disclosed,
one can deduct from the estimates of small arms distributed during the con-
flict period the numbers of such arms officially recovered later on. The three
programmes, ONUMOZ, Operation Rachel, and TAE, supplied the figures
informing Table 9, which summarizes the arms collection and destruction
conducted during and after the ONUMOZ mission.
AKM 465
Pistols (various) 77
MG 6
PPX 100
Bazooka/RPG 7 34
Mortars (various) 10
Machine guns PK 15
Mauser 92
G3 43
Semi-automatics 215
Grenade launchers 0
Rifles 48
FBP 49
M20 2
ZG1 0
Note: After 2004, FOMICRES took on further peacebuilding activities and crime reduction
in the cities. Its peacebuilding work meant that it retained its sources of information within
RENAMO. (Author interview with Albino Forquilha, Executive Director/CEO, FOMICRES,
Maputo, April 2013.)
Source: unpublished data provided by FOMICRES (2008)
Note: This table gives the highest published estimate of the total number of firearms
distributed to militias. This may be an overestimate, since the population of Mozambique
in 1980 was 12.1 million, and more than half were under 18. The table indicates the upper
limit of the range of estimates on this number, and therewith, the worst-case scenario.
Sources: Berman (1996, p. 88; see Table 4); Faltas and Paes (2004, p. 18; see Table 7); Leo
(2004, p. 98); unpublished data provided by FOMICRES (2008; see Tables 5 and 8)
Ma
r ing
Caia
u
M O Z A M B I Q U E
ZIMBABWE
Ma
Ch e
Go
rim
rro
ron
go
m
m
u
go
e
MANICA
sa
Muanza
Nh
SOFALA l
ne
am
n
ha
at
da
an
Dondo C
bi
q ue
Beira
Buzi
am
Ch
oz
0 km 100
M
ib
av
ava
Since neither Operation Rachel nor any subsequent mission has collected
arms from the substantial caches to be found in the five Sofala Districts, even
though Sofala Province was often listed when large numbers of arms were
collected (see Table 6), the scale of these caches cannot be gauged. Never-
theless, according to Fauvet, the presence of reportedly large caches shows
thatwhatever tensions persist between the neglected RENAMO military
in the countryside and the political leadership in the citiesthe military
has remained fundamentally loyal in protecting the locations of their arms
caches.34
RENAMO split
In May 2009, Dhlakama moved to the northern city of Nampula, effectively
demonstrating his disconnection from parliamentary politics, yet claiming
he would thus be closer to the electorate (Vines, 2013, p. 386). His move north
was prior to the national elections of October 2009 and may have stemmed
from the establishing of two breakaway parties, the Partido para a Paz,
Democracia e Desenvolvimento (Party for Peace, Democracy and Develop-
ment, PDD) in 2004 and the MDM in March 2009. The MDM held a strong
base in Beira, the second-largest city in Mozambique, which might otherwise
be suitable political territory for RENAMO.
Following alleged attempts in December 2011 and April 2012 to repair
the situation through meetings with the new President Armando Guebuza,
Dhlakama left Nampula in October 2012 for Saturnjira, Gorongosa, situ-
ated near the former guerrilla base of Casa Banana. He later mentioned that
he was training up his supporters for renewed conflict (Vines, 2013, p. 387).
Sofala was the RENAMO heartland and held a concentration of former
combatants, as supported by evidence on the main arms caches (see Map 2).
A core group of older former combatants was living at Saturnjira and
Dhlakama had maintained links with his mid-level commanders.
In late 2012, Dhlakama agreed to talks between the government and
RENAMO in Maputo, although there was little progress from December
2012 onwards. Talks were stalled as the government moved its armed forces
to near Saturnjira early in April 2013, doubtless causing tensions to rise
(Littlejohn, 2013). In early April 2013, open conflict broke out between gov-
ernment forces and RENAMO forces in this region (Vines, 2013, p. 287).38
Thereafter political developments were intertwined with the conflict to
some extent.
Violence of 201314
In early April 2013, nine people were killed in a confrontation between
RENAMO supporters and the government in Muxngu, Sofala Province
(Vines, 2013, p. 387). The context for this confrontation was police suspicion
concerning Dhlakamas move to Saturnjira, no doubt exacerbated by his
claims of training military personnel. FRELIMO had sent a large number
of the Fora de Interveno Rpida (Rapid Intervention Force, FIR), a para-
military police force reporting to the Ministry of the Interior) in an attempt
to physically surround his base. Tensions had been mounting for several
[F]our issues needed to be resolved: electoral law, making the civil service
non-party, issues around the military, and finally a fairer share of the wealth
of Mozambique (Hanlon, 2013a, p. 2).
At the same time, road traffic on the N1, the main road running north to
south through Mozambique and which passes through Sofala Province in
the vicinity of significant RENAMO-held arms caches, was down by 30 per
cent. This implies that people were afraid to travel in the area. Rail traffic was
also said to be suffering enormous losses (Hanlon, 2013a, p. 2), presumably
because trains were not running for fear of assault. Reports of ongoing
intransigence on both sides in August 2013 prevailed, with a series of con-
flicts ensuing. RENAMO carried out a raid on a railway station in Sofala
Province on 12 October, a military confrontation took place on 21 October
(Hanlon, 2013b, p. 1), and government forces attacked RENAMO headquarters
in the same month.
By 27 October 2013, a RENAMO member of parliament had been killed
in Saturnjira and confrontations on the N1 had left one person dead and
ten injured (Hanlon, 2013c, pp. 12). On 30 October, RENAMO started to
reoccupy formerly abandoned bases in Nampula Province. These bases were
then subject to military action by government forces. The Maringu base
1 The Mozambique National Resistance (MNR), as it was originally referred to by the Rhode-
sian security services, was renamed Resistncia Nacional Moambicana (Mozambican
National Resistance, RENAMO) once taken over by the apartheid-era South African military
intelligence (Vines, 2013, p. 376).
2 More specifically, the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) was estab-
lished by UN Security Council Resolution 797, which was adopted in December 1992
(UNSC, 1992b).
3 Nungwe, like most locations of RENAMO bases, is generally not to be found on maps. It
is situated in the Lebombo mountains, north of Ressano Garcia, and about 1.5 km from
the South African border. When Mozambican forces tried to seize Nungwe in 1992, the
South African Defence Force (SADF) may have used chemical weapons to drive them off.
Paul Fauvet, journalist and editor of the English service of Agncia de Informao de
Moambique (Mozambique News Agency, AIM), interviewed soldiers who survived this
attack, and a cautious UN report (UNSC, 1992a, p. 11) confirmed that their symptoms were
consistent with exposure to a chemical agent. This was the only alleged use of chemical
weapons during the Mozambican war with RENAMO. (Author correspondence with Paul
Fauvet, journalist and editor, AIM, Maputo, 5 February 2015.)
4 The services of at least one independent South African arms supplierwho reported using
a Douglas DC3 aeroplane in Manica and Sofala Provinces to the south of the Beira Corridor
from late 1988 onwardswere confirmed by the supplier himself in an author interview. By
then, the interviewee had ceased to supply arms but had been employed by the UN to help
plan food aid to RENAMO, because he knew the locations of rebel camps. (Author inter-
view with an anonymous South African arms supplier, Manica Province, 30 March 1993.)
5 Even with intense fighting in the far south of Mozambique, not far from the capital city of
Maputo, the logistical problems of supplying the government troops continued. (Author
interview with a soldier of the Foras Populares de Libertao de Moambique (Peoples
Forces for the Liberation of Mozambique, FPLM), Maputo Province, September 1991.)
6 This displacement was observed by a joint World Food Programme (WFP)/Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) Food and Crop Assessment Mission to Angola and
Mozambique held in March 1993. The mission, in which the author participated, involved
participants visiting various RENAMO bases in Manica and Sofala Provinces, down to
the south of the Beira Corridor, in order to arrange food aid for RENAMO. From 1990 to
1992, there were very clear traces of a reduction in the cultivated areas of RENAMO farms,
which interviewees ascribed to the drought. The mission arranged a visit to refugee camps
along the Beira Corridor, too. (Author interviews with RENAMO personnel in bases in
Manica and Sofala, south of the Beira Corridor, March 1993.)