Sent to me by a friend in SA. No idea how accurate it is, but thought it may be worth sharing.


In recent conversations with rhino conservation stakeholders Pot-Shot has learnt
that there are increasing indications that the Mozambican opposition movement Renamo
is actively involved in rhino poaching as a means of funding their organization. The
recent incidents of violence in the Gorongosa region has raised fears that Renamo
may be considering a wider scale resumption of hostilities since it declared an end
to the 1992 Peace Agreement a week ago following a government attack on a Renamo
base in central Mozambique. Renamo was one of the two belligerent parties in the
devastating Mozambican civil war that raged from 1975 until 1992 and left
approximately a million people dead.

One of Pot-Shot's sources said that in a recent discussion with a senior police
officer in Skukuza it was revealed that the SAPS has obtained substantiation within
the past several weeks linking Renamo to poaching activity in the Kruger National
Park. Recent reports say that poaching is mainly conducted by Mozambicans who are
supposedly highly trained, well armed, and well-versed in military tactics. As a
movement with decades of experience in guerrilla warfare Renamo is able to supply
not only ground teams with shooters but also the logistical support to move horns
removed from rhino carcasses back into Mozambique where it possesses the
infrastructure to effectively smuggle the contraband out of the country.

The Vietnamese telecom Movitel is also currently the third active cellular network
service provider in Mozambique. The Movitel mobile network footprint has been
established by developing a fibre-optics network instead of relying solely on
transmitter towers, which means that hundreds of Vietnamese technicians have
established grass-roots infrastructure in numerous villages across a large part of
Mozambique. With Vietnam being the world's biggest consumer of rhino horn, it is
feared that certain individuals working for Movitel are involved in the illicit
trade as intermediaries between Renamo and dealers in Southeast Asia.

Another worrying trend seen over the past number of weeks in Mozambique has been the
kidnapping of children for ransom of certain high-ranking and prominent people in
Maputo. Current conjecture is that this may also be part of a Renamo campaign to
generate cash.

"What is worrying about the possibility of Renamo engaging in rhino poaching as a
means of filling its war chest now that hostilities have a possibility of increasing
is that this could lead to a substantial escalation in rhino poaching on South
Africa's border with Mozambique", Pot-Shot's source said.

It is a well known fact that freedom fighters, read terorists, used wildlife, diamonds and gold in the past to fund their operations. I will not be surprised at all if Renamo is one of the big players in the Rhino poaching in RSA

Makes one wonder about the Elephant poisoning in Zimbabwe and the diamonds that Mugabe is using to finance his lavish life style.

Happy birthday Jaco!

quote:

Originally posted by Andrew McLaren:
Happy birthday Jaco!

Thanks Adrew

Andrew AND Jaco

Happy birthday to you both!

jaco andrew

happy birthday and all well wishes mag julle so oud word dat julle hol hare julle voetspore dood vee eendag.

Luan

quote:

Originally posted by Andrew McLaren:
Happy birthday Jaco!

And the same for you Andrew

quote:

Originally posted by luan:
jaco andrew

happy birthday and all well wishes mag julle so oud word dat julle hol hare julle voetspore dood vee eendag.

Luan

We are working on it