Mozambique’s Renamo faces pressure over 2027 congress
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Club of Mozambique
Former fighters from Mozambique’s Renamo are maintaining pressure to ensure the party congress is held in the second half of 2027. They accuse president Ossufo Momade of delaying the organisation of the internal vote, whose date and venue have yet to be set, according to Edgar Silva, coordinator of a dissenting management committee.
Former fighters from Renamo, Mozambique’s main opposition party, have accused its president, Ossufo Momade, of delaying the congress scheduled for the second half of 2027. Edgar Silva, national coordinator of a self-appointed management committee, said on Monday in Maputo that the group would maintain pressure to ensure the gathering is held as soon as possible.
The congress is due, among other things, to elect the party’s new leadership. Renamo’s National Council, which met on 22 and 23 October, scheduled it for the second half of 2027 but set neither a precise date nor a venue. According to Edgar Silva, the announcement came under pressure from former fighters and other dissident members. Ossufo Momade, who has already said he does not intend to seek another term, said the date and venue would be determined later by the party’s bodies, depending on the financial resources available.
Edgar Silva believes the lack of a precise timetable is fuelling fears of a postponement intended to extend Momade’s term. He warned that the group would continue its campaign if the party did not set a date for the congress. The former fighters also criticised the exclusion of António Muchanga, a Renamo veteran and former MP, decided by the National Council as part of disciplinary proceedings over alleged violations of the party’s statutes.
The dispute comes after Renamo called for police to withdraw from its offices in Mozambique on 2 October, amid tensions within the party. The National Council’s decision on 22 and 23 October set the congress for 2027 without determining the arrangements.
