RENAMO



The The Mozambican National Resistance, more commonly referred to by its abbreviation RENAMO, is a militant organization and political movement in Mozambique. It was initially formed in 1975 in opposition to Mozambique's communist ruling party, FRELIMO, beginning the Mozambique Civil War two years later, receiving support from the anti-communist governments of Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe) and South Africa. The war lasted for 17 years until the signing of the Rome General Peace Accords in 1992.

During the civil war, RENAMO was guilty of multiple human rights abuses and war crimes (as was FREMLIMO, but to a much lesser extent) such as use of child soldiers, use of rape, torture, and mutilation, looting, and forced labor, among other things. Often women would be apprehended while out in the fields, then raped as a means to boost troop morale. Gandira caused widespread starvation among the rural population due to the little time left to produce food for themselves. This caused more and more persons to be physically unable to endure the long transportation marches demanded from them. Refusing to participate in Gandira or falling behind on the marches resulted in severe beating and often execution. Flight attempts were also punished harshly. One particularly gruesome practice was the mutilation and killing of children left behind by escaped parents. RENAMO's brutal tactics quickly earned it a searing resentment and hate among most Mozambicans who referred to them as "Armed Bandits" and endorsed beatings against them, even pressuring the military into a public execution of four RENAMO rebels in 1983.

After the civil war ended, RENAMO was demilitarized and integrated into Mozambique's government, but dissatisfaction with the government lead to RENAMO rearming itself and resuming hostilities in 2013, which still continues to present day, despite the signing and collapse of several different peace treaties between the two factions.