Revived rebel group Renamo accused of seeking Mozambique division

Maputo (AFP) - Mozambique's defence ministry on Tuesday accused Renamo of wanting to "divide the country" as the main opposition party and revived rebel grouping was recruiting young people to carry out this strategy.

Judging by Renamo's "political discourse and the situation we are witnessing, the objective is to divide the country from the Save River", Christovao Chume, national director for defence policy and security, told a press conference in Maputo.

The defence ministry also confirmed the existence of armed men in Inhambane province, to the south of the river, and accused Renamo, led by Afonso Dhlakama, to recruit men in Sofala, to the north, and Inhambane.

All actions are being coordinated by Dhlakama, Chume added, pointing to an investigation and information gathered from men who were captured.

Dhlakama has been in hiding since his military base fell to government forces in the centre of the country in October.

Renamo meanwhile said clashes with government forces in Pembe, in Inhambane province had resulted in dozens of dead on the side of government troops but did not give a date.

Deadly skirmishes between Frelimo-government forces and former civil war foe Renamo have followed escalating tensions for months.

The two parties fought a brutal near 16-year civil war that ended in 1992 after the deaths of around one million people.

But from April gunmen reportedly from Renamo have attacked civilian vehicles on the main north-south highway, and scores have died in clashes between the group's militants and soldiers in the centre of the country.