[ad_1]
Mozambique's Renamo opposition party on Thursday elected Ossufo Momade to lead this year's parliamentary elections, replacing rebel veteran Afonso Dhlakama, who died suddenly in May.
Momade had been running Renamo since the death of Dhlakama, who recently led the peace talks with the government.
The Renamo, a political party that retains an armed wing, waged a 16-year civil war against the government until 1992 and clashes erupted again from 2013 to 2016.
Speaking in front of AFP, a party delegate said Momade had won with 410 votes in Renamo's national council, against 238 for his main rival Elias Dhlakama, the brother of the former leader .
Official results are expected later on Thursday.
Momade, 58, was a guerrilla leader during the civil war and has been a member of parliament since 1999. He was secretary general of the party between 2007 and 2012.
As interim leader, he continued negotiations on a peace deal with President Filipe Nyusi, although relations between the Frelimo-led government and Renamo remain tense.
Last year, Renamo said the electoral authorities had falsified the results and stole the victory in five of the 53 municipalities.
Like his predecessor, Momade chose to live in the remote mountains of Gorongosa, in the center of the country.
General elections are scheduled for October in Mozambique.
Sign up for News24's main African News in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO HELLO
NEWSLETTER AFRICA
FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook.
[ad_2]
Source link
