Mozambique’s veteran rebel leader Afonso Dhlakama, who mixed guerrilla warfare with opposition politics, has died aged 65.Several sources in Dhlakama’s Renamo party told AFP that Dhlakama passed away in what could have been a heart attack, with local television stations also reporting the same.
Until his death Dhlakama recently held meetings with President Filipe Nyusi and he was seen as playing a key role in the country’s developing peace process. Nyusi and Dhlakama met in February in Gorongosa to discuss disarmament and reintegration.
For 39 years, Dhlakama led Renamo, the rebel group which fought a 16-year war against the ruling Frelimo party until 1992 and then emerged as an opposition party that still retained armed fighters.He had been in hiding since 2013 in the remote Gorongosa mountains as sporadic conflict again erupted in the country.
In December 2016, Dhlakama announced a truce with the government, which appeared to be moving towards a possible formal peace accord.They agreed on constitutional reforms that would decentralise power.
The reforms, currently under debate in parliament, will allow voters to directly elect provincial governors, who at present are appointed by the president.
Mozambique will hold presidential, legislative and provincial elections in October 2019, with observers saying Renamo has recently increased its public support.
