Importance Of Regional And Local Factors In Determining The Origins Of The War

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History Question
Question1:
In class I discussed some of the ways that local and regional factors shaped the post-independence civil war in Mozambique. How so? In an essay explain how that war illustrates the importance of regional and local factors in determining the origins of the war, how it was conducted, and its outcome. Note that such factors may range from political to cultural. You will want to consult the Seibert reading for material. You can cite it as follows: (Seibert, 254).
After the 1975 Mozambican independence from Portugal, Frelimo the Marxist–Leninist party took power in Mozambique, but Renamo was formed to oppose the leftist party and started a war supported by anti communists especially in neighboring white ruled Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and South Africa. Ideology and regional politics are just some of the factors that resulted in the war between the Frelimo and Renamo escalating. Nonetheless, Frelimo was also authoritarian and this resulted in dwindling support among the local population despite being associated with the fight against colonialism.
Renamo engaged in indiscriminate violence against civilians, and even forcefully recruited child soldiers, while destroying government buildings, hospitals and schools left behind by those fleeing (Seibert 254). However, there were regional differences as Renamo mainly drew soldiers from Central Mozambique and also gained support in the north. There were disintegrating social relations as Renamo grew in strength and raided many villages, and joining the rebel group became a viable option for many young men. Some of the Renamo fighters were formerly Frelimo junior officers who were dismissed after independence (Seibert 258). At the same time, Frelimo focused on forceful villagization, and this removed powers from local chiefs and resulted in resentment among those who felt marginalized, oppressed and discriminated as southerners dominated the administrative structure in central and northern regions (Seibert 267-268).
Renamo was first setup in 1976 received support from the Rhodesian secret service to destabilize Frelimo and attack the bases across the Mozambican border that offered support to the Zimbabwean African National Union (ZANU) rebels (Seibert 254-255). Renamo was a guerilla group, which maintained support in rural areas in the northern and central regions, while Frelimo was most visible in towns and cities. Efforts towards normalizing peaceful relations started in the 80’s and the collapse of the apartheid system meant that there...