The Forgotten Sons of the State: The Social and Political Positions of Former Government Soldiers in Post-War Mozambique

Abstract

This article shows that 21 years after the signing of the peace accords, the Mozambican state continues to struggle with the social and political niche of the more than 90,000 demobilized soldiers. The article departs from the observation that the memory construction of the past liberation and civil war done by the FRELIMO government was highly influential in creating and sharpening categories of veterans, determining which "type" of veteran has access to privileged resources and which is excluded. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, the problematic relationship between ex-combatants of the government army and the Mozambican government is explored. For veterans, this relationship is characterized by frustration, hope, patrimonialism and the use of the threat of violence. This plays out in negotiations involving material aspects (particularly pensions), but also symbolic aspects of being regarded as worthy veterans

Former Military Networks a Threat to Peace? The Demobilisation and Remobilization of Renamo in Central Mozambique

“…In Mozambique, the soldiers did not 'fade away' as Alden (2002) argued. Rather, networks of former combatants continued to exist, for example, around the call for pensions (Wiegink 2013b), and as 'big man' networks (Wiegink 2015).…”

Beyond Reintegration: War Veteranship in Mozambique and El Salvador

“…War veterans often have particular, and often privileged, roles in post-war state building, since they are in a unique position to lay claims on the state having put their lives on the line (Kriger, 2003;Metsola, 2010;Sprenkels, 2018). Furthermore, they may have accumulated organizational skills and authority (Mampilly, 2011) and may embody a threat of renewed violence (Wiegink, 2013).…”

“…As the societal position of veterans is highly contingent on the politics of historical interpretation (Trouillot, 1995), ex-soldiers often seek to represent themselves as having made extraordinary contributions to the nation's birth, defence, survival or modernization, acting as key stakeholders in the discursive 'battle for memory' that unfolds after war (Ching, 2016;Kansteiner, 2006;Sprenkels, 2011). Veterans may be glorified as heroes of great victories, but they may also be considered a reminder of failure, guilt and shame that is rather (selectively) forgotten, or as something in between (Duclos, 2012;Metsola, 2010;Wiegink, 2013Wiegink, , 2019. As Metsola (2010: 590) points out in the context of war veterans in Namibia, 'such historical interpretations are not merely a matter of national imaginary.…”

“…Such benefits may involve pensions or demobilization allowances, which are often highly coveted by war veterans. Several studies have detailed the problems associated with manipulation and corruption in relation to such funds (Munive, 2014;Wiegink, 2013). Another consequence is that the categorization of war veterans is often subjected to strong contestation.…”

Different mechanisms, same result: Remembering the liberation war in Mozambique

“…Despite the lack of consensus about its causes and whether it was a civil war or not (1976)(1977)(1978)(1979)(1980)(1981)(1982)(1983)(1984)(1985)(1986)(1987)(1988)(1989)(1990)(1991)(1992), 7 the fact is that Mozambican society added 16 more years to its devastating war résumé. While the number of war-related deaths was close to one million (Hanlon, 1991), 1.5 million were forcibly displaced and made refugees in the neighboring countries due to the horrors provoked by both sides, Frelimo and the Resistência Nacional Moçambicana (Renamo) (Igreja, 2008;Schafer, 2007;Wiegink, 2013).…”