MAPUTO. — Gunmen of the Mozambican rebel movement Renamo attacked a train belonging to the coal mining company Vale-Mozambique in the northern province of Nampula, in the small hours of Thursday morning. At a Friday Press conference in Nampula city, the spokesperson for the provincial police command, Zacarias Nacute, said the attack took place in Mutuali, in Malema district at about 1am.
The Renamo gang caused damage to the front of the locomotive, and shattered windows. Shards of glass hit the train driver, causing slight injuries. The train was taking coal from Vale’s open cast mine at Moatize, in Tete Province, to the new mineral port at Nacala-a-Velha, on the Nampula coast.
Nacute said Renamo attempted, unsuccessfully, to set the locomotive on fire. He said police have now sent a unit to the site of the attack to guarantee public order and tranquillity.
“Unfortunately we were unable to neutralise any of the attackers”, Nacute added, “but the police are on the spot working to assess the circumstances of the attack, and discover the whereabouts of those carrying out armed attacks in our province, so that they may be taken to justice”.
This is the second attack on the northern rail corridor in less than a week. On Monday night Renamo attacked a goods train between Cuamba and Nampula cities, and injured one member of its crew.
This train was carrying empty wagons back to port, and was not owned by Vale. There are two railways which Vale can use to take coal to port. One is the Sena line, which runs from Tete province to the port of Beira.
The second is the new line, financed by Vale, which runs from Moatize through southern Malawi, and then links up with the existing northern corridor.
— AIM.