RENAMO KILLS MORE CIVILIANS IN NORTHERN

C O N F I D E N T I A L HARARE 04004 LONDON FOR KOLKER E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PTER PHUM MZ ZI SUBJECT: RENAMO KILLS MORE CIVILIANS IN NORTHERN ZIMBABWE REF: A. HARARE 2478 (NOTAL),B. 88 HARRE 6792 ¶1. (U) ACCORDING TO LOCAL PRESS REPORTS, ON THE NIGHT OF JULY 1, RENAMO KILLED FOUR CIVILIANS IN AN ATTACK IN THE RUSHINGA AREA OF NORTHERN ZIMBABWE. THE ATTACK5S SHOT DEAD A 27 YEAR OLD FARMER AND THEN BURNED DOWN THE HUT CONTAINING HIS WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN, AGED FIVE AND TWO YEARS OLD. AN EARLIER ATTACK IN THE SAME AREA WAS REPORTED REF A. - ¶2. (C) POLOFF SPOKE ON JULY12 WITH FATHER HANSKO OF MARYMOUNT MISSION ABOUT THE REFAMO ATTACK. HANSKO SAI THAT THE JULY 1 ATTACK TOOK PLACE SOME 10 KM INSIDE THE BORDER WITH MOZAMBIQUE AND SOME 40 KM FROM THE MISSION. AN EARLIER ATTACK, PERHAPS THAT REPORTED REF A, TOOK PLACE ONLY 1.5 KM FROM THE MISSION. HANSKO SAID, HOWEVER, THAT SECURITY AT THE MISSION IS NOT A PROBLEM. SOME 100 PEOPLE ARE NOW LIVING NEARBY IN ORDER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PROTECTION AFFORDED BY THE POLICE ENCAMPED THERE (REF B). THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN "GENTLY" ENCOURAGING PEOPLE FROM ISOLATED BORDER SETTLEMENTS TO SEEK PROTECTION AT NIGHT AT SUCH GUARDED POINTS AS PART OF ITS "VILLAGIZATION" PROGRAM. THE GOVERNMENT IS ALREADY PROVIDING THOSE WHO AGREE TO SO GATHER WITH FOOD AID. HANSKO BELIEVES THE GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAM TO BE WELL ADVISED. HE ESTIMATES THAT HALF OF THE POPULATION EAST OF MARYMOUNT TO THE BORDER HAS FLED SINCE RENAMO BEGAN HITTING THE AREA. HENSKO ADDED THAT WHILE HE IS HOPEFUL THAT THE SIGNS OF MOVEMENT TOWARD NEGOTIATIONS IN MOZAMBIQUE WILL LEAD TO REAL PEACE, HE IS AFRAID THAT IN ANY LEADUP TO TALKS, RENAMO WILL SEEK TO INCREASE ITS LEVERAGE OVER THE GOZ BY INCREASING ITS ATTACKS IN ZIMBABWE. LARSEN