REPORTS about the resurgence of Mozambique bandits under the banner of RENAMO should help remind Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular that forces of destabilisation are never at rest.
Recently RENAMO withdrew from the 1992 peace accord which ended a civil war which had raged in Mozambique since 1976 when this bandit movement was formed.
The reason why RENAMO was formed explains how imperialist forces use surrogates to destabilise progressive forces.
RENAMO was formed by the Ian Smith’s Rhodesian regime in a bid to cripple the FRELIMO government, which was providing bases for ZANLA.
The peace deal of 1992 provided for one person one vote, in which RENAMO has always been losing to FRELIMO.
But now they cannot have it any longer.
As the country prepares for presidential and parliamentary elections early next year, RENAMO’s leader Afonso Dhlakama has decided to go back to his former base in the jungles of Gorongoza.
Already his bandits have been attacking civilians and State institutions.
His inspiration must be the anti-nationalistic attitude he must have internalised from his association with the Rhodesian regime and later apartheid South Africa.
These were regimes determined to perpetuate white supremacy in the southern African region.
True, RENAMO doesn’t have the material backing it used to have at that time, nor the numbers.
Nevertheless, the now ragtag bandit organisation still has nostalgic memories of the disorder that prevailed during the civil war.
What with the booming economy following the recent discovery of a major offshore gas field backed by extensive coal reserves inland.
The bandits must be drooling expecting the possible rich pickings from the chaos which will follow another period of countrywide banditry.
But things have now changed.
For a start, RENAMO can no longer get any outright support from any of Mozambique’s neighbours.
No doubt it might get sympathy from Rhodies like Roy Bennett and other like-minded imperialist agents.
This is not enough.
For they are assured of a losing game.
Zimbabwe cannot be expected to sit with folded arms when a bandit organisation tries to disrupt its trade routes and life along the border.
And Zimbabwe is not alone for that matter.
Only last week at the joint SADC-International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the regional leaders sent a clear message to RENAMO to stop banditry.
This should be interpreted as a strong warning to Dhlakama.
Regional peace and stability cannot be allowed to be dictated by an imperialist-sponsored character like Dhlakama.
Dhlakama must look no further than the DRC, where M23 rebels, also foreign sponsored, thought they could destabilise eastern DRC, but are finding the going tough.
Jonas Savimbi tried the same with his UNITA bandits in Angola, but he perished together with his diamond loot.
The Mozambican President, Armando Guebuza, has offered Dhlakama a chance to air his views in direct talks.
This is an alternative Dhlakama must take for the sake of Mozambique and the region.
After all, Mozambicans are soon going for general elections, where both Dhlakama and Guebuza have a right to seek a mandate for their policies.
Perhaps, closer at home another foreign-sponsored party like the MDC should realise that peace loving Zimbabweans are closely monitoring its possible ties with RENAMO.