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RR RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHTO #0840/01 1921336
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111336Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5665
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP  0062

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 000840 
 
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STATE FOR AF/S - HTREGER 
PASS USAID FOR AA/AFR AND AFR/SA 
PASS MCC FOR GAULL 
 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM MZ
SUBJECT: MOZAMBIQUE: JUNE POLITICAL DIGEST 
 
 
MAPUTO 00000840  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified - Handle Accordingly 
 
¶1. (U) This is a brief summary of significant political 
developments in Mozambique during June 2006.  We 
provide it as a supplement to our other reporting.  The 
items discussed are: 
 
-- Presidential Guards Accused of Murder 
-- FRELIMO to Elect 1600 Delegates to its IX Party 
Congress 
-- RENAMO Claims Tete Detainees are Political Prisoners 
 
Presidential Guards under Investigation for Murder 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
¶2. (U) Three members of Mozambique's Presidential 
Guard, the police unit charged with ensuring the 
security of President Armando Guebuza, are under 
investigation for the murder of a 25-year old 
Mozambican man.  According to a June 30 report in the 
independent weekly "Savana", Abdul Monteiro Daude was 
pursued by three Presidential Guards after he disobeyed 
orders to stop after hitting their vehicle as he was 
leaving a popular local nightclub.  Monteiro was 
eventually pulled over near Maputo Central Hospital, at 
which time eye-witnesses report that he was handcuffed 
after voluntarily exiting the vehicle.  Monteiro was 
then reportedly beaten and shot three times by an 
individual identified as a Presidential Guard. 
 
¶3. (U) Deputy Minister of Interior Jose Mandra defended 
the guards' actions, stating that it was within rights 
of police to pursue a car if the driver disobeyed an 
order to stop.  Mandra stated that the guards did not 
intend to kill Monteiro; however, he did confirm that 
the matter was now in the hands of the Criminal 
Investigation Police (PIC), where a case file on the 
killing has been opened. 
 
¶4. (U) PIC Director Alexandre Cavele confirmed to local 
press that a member of the Presidential Guard was 
arrested on July 3, and taken to the top security jail. 
He did not name the suspect, and gave no further 
details, other than that the investigation into the 
incident was continuing. 
 
¶5. (U) Guebuza's office reportedly contacted Monteiro's 
family after the incident, offering the President's 
condolences, and guaranteeing that justice would be 
done in this case. 
 
FRELIMO to Elect 1600 Delegates to its Ninth Party 
Congress 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶6. (U) On June 25 the ruling FRELIMO party began 
elections for delegates to its Ninth Party Congress to 
be held in Quelimane, Zambezia province, November 10 - 
14, 2006.  The FRELIMO Party Spokesperson, Edson 
Macuaua, announced that 1,600 delegates would be 
elected during the three-month selection process.  The 
complex, four-phase electoral cycle, which includes 
elections at the branch, circle, district, and 
provincial levels, will run from June 25 to September 
24, ending with the 11 provincial conferences electing 
both the final delegates to the Party Congress as well 
as candidates to the new FRELIMO Central Committee, the 
powerful 160-member FRELIMO decision-making body. 
 
¶7. (U) At the district and provincial level, new first 
secretaries and party committees will also be elected. 
 
SIPDIS 
This electoral process is further complicated by 
FRELIMO's system of "renewal and continuity," which is 
intended to ensure that new blood enters the party 
structure, while at the same time guarantees that 
institutional memory is retained.  As per the statutes, 
60 percent of all elected party committee members must 
have served before, while 40 percent should be first- 
time members.  As least 20 percent of the elected 
members of these party organs must be women. (Note: New 
statutes will be debated at the Party Congress, and 
some political observers expect significant changes. 
End Note.)  In addition, FRELIMO branches in countries 
with significant Mozambican emigrant communities are 
entitled to elect at least one delegate to the Party 
Congress.  This includes South Africa, Swaziland, 
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, Portugal and 
Germany. 
 
 
MAPUTO 00000840  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
RENAMO Claims Tete Detainees are Political Prisoners 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
¶8. (U) Mozambique's main opposition party, RENAMO, has 
claimed that ten of its party members are being held as 
"political prisoners" in Mutarara district in the 
western province of Tete.  Speaking at a June 9 press 
conference in Maputo, RENAMO spokesperson Fernando 
Mazanga alleged that the police had arrested RENAMO 
members "at random" after a May 31 clash between groups 
of RENAMO supporters and those of the ruling FRELIMO 
party.  The incident occurred during a visit to 
Mutarara by RENAMO Secretary General Ossufo Momade. 
Mazanga claimed that a RENAMO convoy of vehicles came 
under attack by FRELIMO supporters wielding sticks and 
stones.  According to Mazanga, RENAMO supporters 
retaliated and the ensuing clash resulted in nine 
injuries, one RENAMO and eight FRELIMO supporters, 
respectively.  Six of the FRELIMO victims reportedly 
suffered serious injuries. 
¶9. (U) In addition to the detentions, RENAMO further 
claimed that some of its offices had been destroyed and 
party members' homes looted and burned down in the 
aftermath of the incident.  Mazanga asserted that only 
due to the urging the party's leader, Afonso Dhlakama, 
was further violence avoided and warned that should the 
victims of "these terrorist acts lose control of their 
emotions," only President Guebuza would be to blame for 
"doing nothing" do stop the wave of political violence. 
¶10. (SBU) Comment: RENAMO has made similar statements 
regarding Dhlakama in the past, implying that the 
masses, particularly those in rural areas, remained on 
the brink of rebellion and that only Dhlakama's words 
of restraint kept them from acts of violence.  However, 
there is little evidence to support such comments. 
 
DUDLEY