The current insecurity in central Mozambique directly affected the country’s coal mining sector for the first time at the beginning of the month. A Vale Mozambique freight train, running from the company’s mine at Moatize, in Tete province, to the export terminal at the port of Beira, in Sofala province, was fired on, apparently by members of the armed wing of the opposition Renamo party. A locomotive driver was wounded, and control of the train taken over by his assistant. The mining company, part of the global major Brazilian mining group, promptly suspended its train operations.

“Our forces are now in the region of the attack, since the night that it was reported,” Vice Interior Minister José Mandra told the media in Beira the next day. “We scoured the area to be able to hold responsible those who dared to carry out this action which, in our view, is aimed at destabilising the country and halting development.” He stated that the train had consisted of 30 wagons hauled by two locomotives. “The Republic of Mozambique Police and the other security and defence forces in Sofala province have the mission to guarantee that the free movement of people and goods continues, for they are involved in the development of the country.”

There are some disagreements in the Mozambique media regarding the details of the attack. There is agreement that it took place in the locality of Samacuza (spelt Samacuedza by O País), but, while O País stated this was in the Dondo district, A Verdade puts it in the Muanza district, while the Canalmoz news website puts it between these two districts. O País and A Verdade agreed that the attack took place on the night of April 1, while Canalmoz claimed there had been attacks on two trains and that two locomotive drivers had been wounded.

A press release by Vale Mozam-bique referred to only one attack, which it stated had happened at 21:00 local time, noting that the locomotive had been hit by a number of shots and reported only one casualty, confirming he had been hit in a leg. His condition was stated as being stable. A Verdade reported that the wounded driver had been taken to a private hospital in Beira.

Renamo denied any involvement in the attack. The party’s chief negotiator in peace talks with the government, Saimon Macuiane, told the media: “Renamo has no information about this event. Always when something happens, the government notifies Renamo, which did not happen.” The spokesperson for Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama (whose current whereabouts are unknown, but who is believed to be somewhere in the interior of Sofala province), António Muchanga, said: “Since the conflict began, Renamo has never attacked the Sena line. Why would we do it now, when we are reaching an agreement?” Canalmoz reported that “[o]bservers on the ground” had admitted that the attacks were possibly staged by a “counter- intelligence force” to damage Renamo’s image. Such an oper- ation, reported the website, could have been stimulated by rumours that Vale Mozambique has been paying Renamo not to attack its trains.

Only a day before the attack, Assistant National Direc- tor for Defence Policy Manuel Mazuze had told media in Maputo that Renamo attacks in Sofala province were averaging two a day. Most were directed against security force outposts and convoys, and were inflicting casualties. On only one day, there had been 12 attacks on security force positions in the Gorongosa district. Regarding attacks on civilians, he said that, between February 13 and March 3, two community leaders had been abducted. Their fate was unknown and it was presumed they had been killed. The regions of the province which experienced the most attacks were Casa Banana, Mussicaze, Piro, Santungira and Vunduzi.