The United Nations Secretary-General's personal envoy to Mozambique, Mirko Manzoni, says that "there are no resources" to pay pensions to demobilized Renamo guerrillas, while experts warn that if this aspect is neglected it could jeopardize the whole process of pacification and democratization in the country.

The so-called Demobilization, Demilitarization and Reintegration (DDR) process has seen progress and setbacks, allegedly due to a lack of money.

"We can't pay pensions without being prepared and without resources," said Manzoni, for whom, "the issue of pensions is not an easy one." He assured, however, that efforts are being made to find out how to find the resources, "so that the demobilized can be integrated into the pension system.

Meanwhile, for sociologist and political analyst Dinis Bila, quoted by VOA, this is an issue that should be of concern to the United Nations, but above all to the Mozambican government, because the entire pacification and democratization effort underway in the country depends on the DDR of the former Renamo guerrillas.

"These are men who have been dealing with weapons of war for a long time, and if at any point they feel that their concerns are not being met, they could take action that could jeopardize peace," warns the analyst.

For his part, economist Elcídio Bachita argues that the government should do everything possible to guarantee the payment of the pensions of the former guerrillas, so that they can live in dignity and no longer pose a threat to peace and investors.

The political analyst says that one of the causes of Renamo's war had to do with social inequalities, so "the government must make every effort to ensure that the former guerrillas can receive their pensions, which could mean that they never think of returning to the bush to destabilize the country".

However, jurist and political analyst Ilídio de Sousa says that given the Renamo leadership's determination to implement the DDR, this may not happen, "because Ossufo Momade is committed to peace".

For secondary school teacher Orlando Bila, "there has to be political will to put an end to this issue of pensions for former guerrillas", adding that "the government has the money to pay the huge salaries of the single salary scale and I don't understand how it doesn't have the money to pay the poor pensions of the combatants".

Meanwhile, despite Renamo President Ossufo Momade expressing his annoyance at the government's "systematic failure to comply with the peace agreement" with regard to the payment of pensions, "the party is committed to the DDR".

According to Renamo, more than 4,000 of the estimated 5,300 guerrillas have already been demobilized.

The process was considered complete on Monday, 19, with the closure of the former guerrilla group's last base in Gorongosa, Renamo's former headquarters.