Two People Killed in Attacks on Vehicles in Central Mozambique - Businessweek

Two people died after attacks today by militants in Mozambique's central Sofala province.

The two were taken to Muxungue hospital after the attacks and died there, Maputo-based Miramar television reported, citing officials at the facility. Armed bandits shot at a passenger bus and a truck today, Arnaldo Muchowe, a government official in the area, said by phone. This follows a similar attack on a bus April 6 and a dawn raid on a military weapons store June 17 that left at least six dead.

The southern African nation's government blamed the June 17 attack on the Mozambican National Resistance, an opposition group known as Renamo, which was formerly backed by South Africa's apartheid government. The group fought a 15-year civil war against the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique, or Frelimo, that ended in 1992. The party last year said it may resume the conflict and complained that elections in 2009, won by Frelimo, were unfair.

Jeronimo Malagueta, Renamo's spokesman, on June 19 said his party wasn't responsible. He was arrested yesterday, Fernando Mazanga, another spokesman for the group, said in a text message today.

Malagueta was arrested after he said Renamo would block road and rail traffic in central Mozambique, state-owned Noticias newspaper reported.

Rio Tinto Plc (RIO), which mines coal in the southern African country alongside Vale SA, said yesterday it was monitoring events in the region after Renamo threatened to disrupt the Sena rail line. Coal is transported through Sofala Province, where the incidents occurred, from Tete to the north.

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Latham in Harare at blatham@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nasreen Seria at nseria@bloomberg.net