Maputo — 60 former guerrillas from Mozambique's main opposition party, Renamo, natives of the district of Muanza, in the central province of Sofala, have received building materials, agricultural tools, clothing and other goods, as part of the programme to demobilise and disarm the Renamo militia, and reintegrate its members into civilian life.
According to a report in the Beira daily paper "Diario de Mocambique", the 60 men had been stationed at a Renamo base known as "Pombo Verde" ("Green Pigeon") in Dondo district.
"Pombo Verde" is presumably the same base in Dondo visited recently by an inspection team including representatives of the government, of Renamo, and of the international Contact Group, set up to facilitate the dialogue between the two parties.
Mirko Manzoni, the head of the Contact Group, and the special envoy to Mozambique of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, issued a statement saying that the base was found to be empty, with no people and no weapons.
Pedro Muchanga, who had commanded the "Pombo Verde" base, said he was happy, and called on other Renamo guerrillas to come out of the bush and return to their communities.
