By IPS Correspondents
MAPUTO, Nov 22 1994 (IPS)

FROM THE REMNANTS OF TWO FORMER OPPOSING ARMIES, ONE UNIFIED FORCE HAS BEEN BORN IN MOZAMBIQUE. BUT THE PROCESS OF INTEGRATION AFTER MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF WAR IS PROVING DIFFICULT.

POLITICAL OBSERVERS ARE ALREADY CONTENDING THAT THIS NEW ARMY MAY PROVE TO BE THE ACHILLES HEEL OF THIS FLEDGLING DEMOCRACY.

THEY CITE THE DIFFERENT POLITICAL AFFINITIES OF THE SOLDIERS, SMALL NUMBER OF TROOPS AND RELATIVELY POOR CONDITIONS OF SERVICE AS POSSIBLE OBSTACLES TO THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ARMY IN A LAND SEETHING WITH DISCONTENT.

THE HISTORY OF THE NEW ARMY STARTED IN 1992 WHEN MOZAMBIQUE’S BELLIGERENTS SIGNED THE ROME ACCORD, ENDING 19 YEARS OF CIVIL WAR IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN COUNTRY.

FOLLOWING THE AGREEMENT, THE RULING FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF MOZAMBIQUE (FRELIMO) AND THE MOZAMBICAN NATIONAL RESISTANCE (RENAMO) CONTRIBUTED TROOPS FROM THEIR OFFICIALLY DEFUNCT ARMIES TO THE NEW ALLIED MOZAMBICAN ARMED FORCES (FADM).

DESPITE ASSURANCES OF GENUINE UNITY IN THE FADM FROM THE COUNTRY’S POLITICAL PRINCIPALS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, OBSERVERS DOUBT THE DEEP-SEATED ENMITY OF THE PAST HAS ALREADY BEEN BURIED IN THE ONE-YEAR-OLD ARMY.

A DIPLOMAT FROM SOUTHERN AFRICA INSISTS EX-RENAMO TROOPS OFTEN COMPLAIN OF “BEING MADE TO FEEL OUTSIDERS AND BEING TOLD YOU ARE NOT FROM FRELIMO”.

HOWEVER, FADM CO-COMMANDER LT.-GEN. MATEUS NGONHAMO, RETORTS: “THE MENTALITY OF A SOLDIER IS UNIVERSAL AND TRANSCENDS ANY IDEOLOGY. WE SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE. WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE THE ARMY WAS FORMED.

“DURING TRAINING THE SOLDIERS NEEDED ONLY FIVE MINUTES TO GET TOGETHER AND THEN IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TELL THEM APART,” SAYS THE JOVIAL 31-YEAR-OLD FORMER HEAD OF TR

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By IPS Correspondents
MAPUTO, Nov 22 1994 (IPS)

FROM THE REMNANTS OF TWO FORMER OPPOSING ARMIES, ONE UNIFIED FORCE HAS BEEN BORN IN MOZAMBIQUE. BUT THE PROCESS OF INTEGRATION AFTER MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF WAR IS PROVING DIFFICULT.

POLITICAL OBSERVERS ARE ALREADY CONTENDING THAT THIS NEW ARMY MAY PROVE TO BE THE ACHILLES HEEL OF THIS FLEDGLING DEMOCRACY.

THEY CITE THE DIFFERENT POLITICAL AFFINITIES OF THE SOLDIERS, SMALL NUMBER OF TROOPS AND RELATIVELY POOR CONDITIONS OF SERVICE AS POSSIBLE OBSTACLES TO THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ARMY IN A LAND SEETHING WITH DISCONTENT.

THE HISTORY OF THE NEW ARMY STARTED IN 1992 WHEN MOZAMBIQUE’S BELLIGERENTS SIGNED THE ROME ACCORD, ENDING 19 YEARS OF CIVIL WAR IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN COUNTRY.

FOLLOWING THE AGREEMENT, THE RULING FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF MOZAMBIQUE (FRELIMO) AND THE MOZAMBICAN NATIONAL RESISTANCE (RENAMO) CONTRIBUTED TROOPS FROM THEIR OFFICIALLY DEFUNCT ARMIES TO THE NEW ALLIED MOZAMBICAN ARMED FORCES (FADM).

DESPITE ASSURANCES OF GENUINE UNITY IN THE FADM FROM THE COUNTRY’S POLITICAL PRINCIPALS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, OBSERVERS DOUBT THE DEEP-SEATED ENMITY OF THE PAST HAS ALREADY BEEN BURIED IN THE ONE-YEAR-OLD ARMY.

A DIPLOMAT FROM SOUTHERN AFRICA INSISTS EX-RENAMO TROOPS OFTEN COMPLAIN OF “BEING MADE TO FEEL OUTSIDERS AND BEING TOLD YOU ARE NOT FROM FRELIMO”.

HOWEVER, FADM CO-COMMANDER LT.-GEN. MATEUS NGONHAMO, RETORTS: “THE MENTALITY OF A SOLDIER IS UNIVERSAL AND TRANSCENDS ANY IDEOLOGY. WE SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE. WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE THE ARMY WAS FORMED.

“DURING TRAINING THE SOLDIERS NEEDED ONLY FIVE MINUTES TO GET TOGETHER AND THEN IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TELL THEM APART,” SAYS THE JOVIAL 31-YEAR-OLD FORMER HEAD OF THE RENAMO ARMY, ONE OF THE MOST FEROCIOUS GUERRILLA GROUPS THE WORLD HAS SEEN.

NGONHAMO CANNOT SO EASILY DISCOUNT THE INADEQUACY OF ABOUT 11,000 FIGHTERS WHO OPTED TO JOIN THE FADM, A FAR CRY FROM THE TARGET FIGURE OF 30,000. BUT HE STRESSES: “ONE WELL-TRAINED, WELL-FED, WELL-EQUIPPED, WILLING SOLDIER IS WORTH 20 WHO ARE NOT.”

THE DWINDLING NUMBERS OF ARMY RECRUITS ARE DUE PARTLY TO DISENCHANTMENT WITH WAR AMONG BOTH RENAMO AND FRELIMO TROOPS, MANY OF WHOM WERE PRESS-GANGED INTO A SEEMINGLY ENDLESS WAR IN WHICH THEY WERE OFTEN ILL-EQUIPPED AND POORLY FED.

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