The vagaries of violence and power in post-colonial Mozambique

Bibliographic Data

ID20046936
AuthorsGerhard Seibert (0000-0001-6196-5082, corresponding author)
Year2003
Pages253-276
Publication date2003-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeCHAPTER
VenueRethinking Resistance (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherBrill (PUBLISHER • NL)
DOI10.1163/9789047401629_013
OpenAlexW1578301272
ISBN9789047401629
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited4

Renamo fought a bloody war from 1976 to 1992 against the socialist Frelimo government that devastated the country, but since Renamo had been created by Rhodesia and subsequently supported by South Africa, the internal dimensions of the conflict were played down. However, the resistance of large sections of Mozambican society against the authoritarian politics of the Frelimo regime explains why Renamo did not remain a small guerrilla force but finally controlled entire regions of the country. The excessive violence against civilians by Renamo obscured the fact that in certain regions the movement enjoyed popular support. The conflict in Mozambique was both a modern war with sophisticated weapons and an armed conflict where ritual powers played a role. After the war, collective and individual rituals contributed to the reconciliation of the warring parties and the reintegration of individuals into their local communities

Archaeology · Colonialism · Geography · Physics · Political science · Power (physics) · African history and culture studies · African studies and sociopolitical issues · History

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