4 Mozambican Police Killed by Suspected Ex-Rebel Renamo

Suspected members of Mozambique's ex-rebel movement turned opposition Renamo killed four policemen and wounded five others at the weekend, local media reported on Tuesday.

"Four members of the border police died and five were wounded as a result of an attack by armed men from Renamo on Sunday morning in the district of Gorongosa," independent daily, O Pais said.

The ambush took place in the Mussicadzi district, 60 kilometers (40 miles) from the Gorongosa mountains in central, Sofala province, said the paper.

Renamo's leader, Afonso Dhlakama is believed to be holed up in those mountains.

Supporters of Renamo have fought a low-level insurgency against government troops, attacking public infrastructure and killing civilians and soldiers in the past months.

In the capital Maputo, Renamo and government negotiators are meantime locked up in new series of talks to ease tensions ahead of the October general elections.

The talks are aimed at ending the armed conflict, including the disarmament of Renamo guerrillas.

Last month lawmakers rushed legislation through parliament in order to agree changes to the election law demanded by the opposition party.

The rebel movement Renamo became the official opposition after a peace treaty in 1992 ended its 16-year civil war against the ruling party Frelimo.

But as its power and influence has waned in recent years, it re-mobilized its veterans, killing dozens of mostly civilians in attacks on highways, demanding a more equitable spread of the country's wealth and a change to electoral laws.