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The Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO; Portuguese: Resistência Nacional Moçambicana) is a conservative political party in Mozambique led by Afonso Dhlakama.
RENAMO was founded as an anti-Communist political organization sponsored by the white minority government of Rhodesia in 1975 following Mozambique's independence and the establishment of a Marxist-Leninist, heavily Soviet-backed one-party state. During Mozambique's civil war, RENAMO also received support from South Africa and the United States, who saw the FRELIMO government as a Soviet satellite. RENAMO insurgents were often accused of widespread brutality and human rights abuses against civilians.
In 1984, the South African government agreed to stop sponsoring RENAMO if the Mozambican government expelled exiled members of the African National Congress residing there. This was accepted, but the apartheid regime continued funneling financial and military resources until a permanent peace accord, the General Peace Agreement, was reached in 1992 and was supervised by ONUMOZ until 1994.
Today, RENAMO has disarmed and is the main opposition party in Mozambique. In the presidential elections of December 1999, FRELIMO candidate and incumbent President Joaquim Chissano defeated RENAMO candidate Dhlakama 52.3% to 47.7%. RENAMO currently holds 117 of the 250 parliamentary seats.
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