The Mozambican opposition party Resistência Nacional Moçambicana (Renamo) has announced that its National Council will be held in the first half of this year, and party leader Ossufo Momade could leave his position within 2026.
In an official statement, Renamo noted that Momade will not seek re-election but cannot step down until a congress is held, to prevent internal conflicts from worsening.
The party held a Generals and Officers Meeting in Chimoio, Manica province, where it decided that the National Council will set the schedule for either an Extraordinary or Ordinary Congress to select a new leader. If the council approves an extraordinary congress, Momade could leave office later this year, although no dates were specified.
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The party also announced the immediate reopening of local political offices previously closed by ex-guerrillas to allow the party machinery to function effectively. Momade emphasized that these offices are crucial for organizing the upcoming congress.
Additional decisions from the Chimoio meeting include:
- Holding a leaders’ meeting (reunião de quadros)
- Identifying and accelerating pensions for demobilized members
- Preparing for upcoming elections
- Strengthening party unity
Momade, 64, who succeeded Afonso Dhlakama (1953-2018) as party leader in 2018, faced internal criticism from ex-guerrillas over alleged mismanagement, unpaid pensions and subsidies, and overall incompetence. He ran in the October 2024 presidential elections, receiving 6% of the vote, the lowest-ever result for a Renamo-backed candidate.
