The Flechas ( Portuguese for Arrows ) were an elite paramilitary tactical unit of the Portuguese secret police ( PIDE , latter renamed DGS) that operated in Angola and Mozambique during the Portuguese Colonial War . Unlike most of the other Portuguese special forces that were employed in the several theatres of operations of the conflict, the Flechas were not a de jure military unit but a PIDE/DGS (secret police) unit.
127-572: Flechas were organized as platoon -sized units consisting of local tribesmen and rebel defectors who specialised in black operation, clandestine operation, close-quarters combat, counterinsurgency, covert operation, desert warfare, direct action, irregular warfare, pseudo-operations , jungle warfare, raiding and kidnapping high-value target, special operations, special reconnaissance, tracking, and urban warfare. They sometimes patrolled in captured uniforms and were rewarded with cash bounties for every guerrilla or guerrilla weapon they captured. Flechas had
254-463: A Kompanie ("company"). The first platoon, until 2013, used to be commanded by an Oberleutnant ("first lieutenant") or a Leutnant ("second lieutenant"), nowadays it is usually a Hauptmann ("captain"), who is also the Kompanie' s second-in-command. The second Zug is led by an Oberleutnant or a Leutnant , the third Zug is led by experienced NCOs, usually a Hauptfeldwebel ("master sergeant"). In
381-473: A Sergeant (တပ်ကြပ်ကြီး) as of the structure. A Platoon has 3 Sections all of which are commanded by a Corporal (တပ်ကြပ်) with a Lance Corporal (ဒုတပ်ကြပ်) as 2IC . A Section is called တပ်စိတ် (Tat Sate). A Platoon HQ consist of Platoon Commander (Lieutenant/Captain), Platoon Second in Command (Sergeant), Mortar Crew 1 (Private), Mortar Crew 2 (Private) and a Signaller (Private). As of the authorised structure,
508-472: A 3-man weapons team) and one 9-man machine gun squad. Totaling at 50 soldiers Mozambican Civil War#RENAMO strategies and operations [REDACTED] Mozambique ( People's Republic until 1990) [REDACTED] RENAMO PRM (merged with RENAMO in 1982) UNAMO (1987–1988) [REDACTED] COREMO UNIPOMO FUMO [REDACTED] Rhodesia (until 1979) The Mozambican Civil War ( Portuguese : Guerra Civil Moçambicana )
635-400: A battalion may be led by a captain and assisted by a warrant officer. Some large specialist platoons may have a lieutenant as the second-in-command. In many corps , platoon-sized units are called troops instead. Prior to 1940, a platoon might be commanded by either a warrant officer or a lieutenant. An officer was referred to as "platoon commander", while a warrant officer in the same position
762-495: A commissioned officer—and all officers graduating from the IDF's Officer's Academy receive a "platoon commander" pin, even if they are not intended to command a platoon. The platoon commander is usually the equivalent of first or second lieutenant and is assisted and advised by a platoon sergeant, acting as his replacement. In some elite units, such as Maglan , Egoz or Duvdevan , the teams are usually smaller and commanded by officers, with
889-509: A corporal or sergeant would be the most likely commander. Under the 1971 regulations a peloton in the French Army was used in the equivalent manner to a company, with the first section led by the sous-lieutenant and the second section led by the lieutenant, a captain commanding the entire group. In the French military , a peloton is a mainly a term designating a mobile infantry unit. An escadron
1016-598: A first strike strategy to counter this new threat. This manifested itself in the Rhodesia-sponsored foundation of RENAMO , then called the Mozambique National Resistance (MNR), in 1974 and in South Africa's adoption of the " Total National Strategy ." Soon after independence, FRELIMO begun Mozambique's transformation into a socialist one-party-state. This was accompanied by crackdowns on dissidents and
1143-438: A lack of judges. In 1980, President Machel visited numerous camps and ordered the release of about 2,000 detainees and closure of numerous camps, citing human rights abuses. These were later described by foreign observers as "infamous centers of torture and death." It is estimated that 30,000 inmates died in these camps. The government was also accused of executing thousands of people while trying to extend its control throughout
1270-521: A low-level insurgency in the northern provinces of Zambezia , Tete and Niassa from 1977. Sumane was captured in 1980 and executed by the Mozambican government in 1981. PRM merged with RENAMO in 1982. In 1987, Gimo Phiri, who had succeeded Sumane in 1980 and later become a senior figure in RENAMO, created a splinter group, called UNAMO, which briefly fought both RENAMO and FRELIMO, before permanently joining
1397-589: A machine gun team, both commanded by third sergeants , a platoon sergeant, a signaler/runner and a platoon medic for a total of 28 soldiers. Beginning in 1992, the Singapore Armed Forces has allowed warrant officers to be appointed as platoon commanders. In the South African Army , a platoon usually consists of 27 soldiers and 1 officer organized into three sections 10 soldiers each plus an HQ which contains 8 men. A lieutenant as platoon commander and
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#17328590285371524-486: A major regional centre (Vila Paiva) and RENAMO was quickly ousted from the region. Subsequently, Afonso Dhlakama became the new leader of RENAMO and with extensive South African support it quickly organised itself into an effective guerrilla army. Other rebel groups, initially independent of RENAMO, also fought the FRELIMO government. The Revolutionary Party of Mozambique (PRM), founded by Amos Sumane in 1974 or 1976, waged
1651-618: A massive buildup of military personnel and security forces in Mozambique. It also established close defence ties with two of Mozambique's neighbours, Rhodesia and South Africa . In 1970, the Portuguese launched Operation Gordian Knot , which was initially successful at eliminating large numbers of FRELIMO guerrillas and their support bases in the north of the country; however, the redeployment of so many Portuguese troops to northern Mozambique allowed FRELIMO to intensify its operations elsewhere in
1778-489: A massive scale and in an organised manner. No RENAMO or FRELIMO commanders have ever been prosecuted for war crimes due to an unconditional general amnesty law for the period from 1976 to 1992 passed by the Mozambican parliament (then still composed entirely of FRELIMO members) in 1992. RENAMO systematically committed atrocities as part of its war and destabilization strategies. These included massacres, rapes and mutilation of non-combatants during attacks on villages and towns,
1905-501: A new political crisis emerged and the country appears to be once again on the brink of violent conflict. RENAMO does not recognise the validity of the election results, and demands the control of six provinces – Nampula, Niassa, Tete, Zambezia, Sofala, and Manica – where they claim to have won a majority. On 20 January 2016, the Secretary General of RENAMO, Manuel Bissopo, was injured in a shootout, where his bodyguard died. However,
2032-469: A nine-month transition period, the positions of local government would simply be handed to FRELIMO officials. The Portuguese decision to effect a transfer to power to FRELIMO, without a local referendum or elections, was greeted with intense trepidation by Portugal's traditional Cold War allies: South Africa, Rhodesia, and the United States. The US government predicted that an independent Mozambique under
2159-617: A reputation for atrocities, brutality, torture, and summary executions . Flechas units were created and employed in Angola , during the Portuguese Colonial War , under the command of the PIDE (renamed DGS in 1969). Despite being a paramilitary police force, they were thus a police unit, not being under military command as the remaining special force. Composed of locally recruited men, often former guerrilla fighters but mostly bushman Khoisan ,
2286-515: A sergeant as platoon sergeant, accompanied by a signaller and a patmor group of two men. A section comprises 10 soldiers led by a corporal who's assisted by a lance corporal as second in command. The corporal is in charge of all the soldiers except the light machine gun (LMG) group which is led by the lance corporal. The LMG group is armed with the SS77 while rest of the platoon is armed with R4 assault rifles , with rifle grenades if available. There's also
2413-494: A significant percentage of the countryside with land mines . Three neighboring states— Zimbabwe , Tanzania , and Malawi —eventually deployed troops into Mozambique to defend their own vested economic interests against RENAMO attacks. The Mozambican Civil War ended in 1992, following the collapse of support from the Soviet Union and South Africa for FRELIMO and RENAMO, respectively. Direct peace talks began around 1990 with
2540-470: A small platoon headquarters and three or four sections (Commonwealth) or squads (United States). In some armies, platoon is used throughout the branches of the army. In a few armies, such as the French Army , a platoon is specifically a cavalry unit, and the infantry use "section" as the equivalent unit. A unit consisting of several platoons is called a company or a battery . According to Merriam-Webster ,
2667-558: A squad are grouped into two smaller "fire teams", each comprising four troops: a team leader (corporal armed with a R4 assault rifle and a M203 grenade launcher), an automatic rifleman (armed with a K3 squad automatic weapon), a rifleman (armed with a R4; also brings extra ammunition for the K3), and a designated marksman who used to be armed by a M-14 before the Army shifted to the R4 for this role. The squad leader
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#17328590285372794-465: A system similar to the fortified villages aldeamentos introduced by the Portuguese: the creation of fortified communal villages called aldeamentos comunais where much of the rural population was relocated as the war intensified. Furthermore, in order to keep a minimum level of infrastructure working, three heavily guarded and mined corridors were established consisting of roads, railways and power lines:
2921-516: A total of 16. However, tank units operating in Eastern Europe began to standardize their platoons to just two tank squads, for a total of 3 tanks and 9 personnel. In the Singapore Army , a platoon is a lieutenant's billet . However, in practice, a second lieutenant is usually appointed and then eventually promoted. A typical infantry platoon consists of three seven-man sections of riflemen and
3048-405: A twelve-man maneuver support section, with a lieutenant as platoon commander and a sergeant as platoon sergeant, accompanied by a platoon signaller and sometimes a platoon medic (full strength of forty men). A section comprises eight soldiers led by a corporal with a lance corporal as second in command. Each section has two fireteams (sometimes three) of four men, one led by the corporal and
3175-514: A visit to Western Europe that same month, Machel signed military and economic agreements with Portugal, France, and the UK. Collective and state agricultural programs were also scaled back, prompting concerns from the socialist bloc that Mozambique was "moving straight and naively into the mouth of the evil capitalist wolf." The volume of direct South African government support for RENAMO diminished slightly after Nkomati Accord, but documents discovered during
3302-533: Is a unit of battle tank in cavalry or armor , but in some mechanized infantry regiments ( groupe de chasseurs mécanisés ), the tank platoon is also called peloton de char de combat. The peloton or escadron corresponds to the platoon, equivalent in size to an infantry section and commanded by a lieutenant or sergeant. It may also mean a body of officers in training to become noncommissioned officers, sous-officiers or officers ( peloton de caporal, peloton des sous-officiers ). The Georgian Armed Forces equivalent of
3429-495: Is our struggle." The independence of Mozambique was especially devastating for white-ruled Rhodesia in multiple aspects. The Rhodesian armed forces lacked the manpower to effectively protect its 1,300-kilometre (800 mi) border with Mozambique against entering ZANLA insurgents. At the same time, the apartheid government and the Smith regime lost Portugal as an ally and with it the tens of thousands of soldiers that had been deployed in
3556-504: Is present. Eyewitness accounts indicate that when civilians are killed in these indiscriminate attacks, whether against defended or undefended villages, children, often together with mothers and elderly people, are also killed. Varying numbers of civilian victims in each attack were reported to be rounded up and abducted [...]. According to the Gersony Report, RENAMO's abuses were far more systematic, widespread and serious than FRELIMO's:
3683-481: Is referred to as a "field platoon". The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) uses platoons (Hebrew: mahlakot , literally "divisions") as the basic unit composing the company and usually consists of 20 to 40 soldiers (or 3–4 tanks in the Armored Corps ). Those soldiers are divided into 2–4 "classes" ( kitot ) or teams ( tzvatim ), each composing of 6–21 soldiers. The platoon is the smallest military unit commanded by
3810-709: Is structured with: Section HQ and MG Team: 4 Other Ranks Section Commander: Corporal: MA 3 Carbine Section Second in Command/MG Team Commander: Lance Corporal: MA 3 Carbine Gunner: Private: MA 2 Light Machine Gun Gunner; Private: MA 2 Light Machine Gun Team 1: 3 Other Ranks Team Commander: Lance Corporal: MA 1 Assault Rifle Grenadier: Private: MA 4 Assault Rifle (MA 1 with UBGL) Rifleman: Private: MA 1 Assault Rifle Team 2: 3 Other Ranks Team Commander: Lance Corporal: MA 1 Assault Rifle Grenadier: Private: MA 4 Assault Rifle (MA 1 with UBGL) Rifleman: Private: MA 1 Assault Rifle In
3937-447: Is sub-divided into three squads, each with eight soldiers. Each squad is commanded by a sergeant. His/her deputy has an RPG , there are also two soldiers with PKM machine guns, two with AK-63 assault rifles—one is an RPG grenadier, the other is the medic—the APC driver and the APC gunner. Each squad and the platoon headquarters is equipped with an BTR-80 armored personnel carrier. In total,
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4064-548: Is typically a sergeant while the platoon leader is typically a 2nd lieutenant on his first assignment. The lieutenant is supported by a platoon sergeant. A radioman and a medic is usually supplied by the battalion. Philippine Marine Corps rifle platoons are similar in organization and concept to Philippine Army rifle platoons. A motorized rifle platoon in the Soviet Armed Forces was mounted in either BTR armored personnel carriers or BMP infantry fighting vehicles , with
4191-625: The FRELIMO even after independence and Portuguese withdrawal, when the country splintered into civil war . The Flechas served as model for the latter created Rhodesian Selous Scouts and the South African Koevoet . The Flechas were organized in combat groups (platoons) of about 30 men, although the formation was often loose. Each of these groups was dependent from a PIDE / DGS local branch, operating in its area of responsibility . The Flechas received combat uniforms identical to those worn by
4318-517: The Hungarian Armed Forces , a rifle platoon is commanded by either a second lieutenant or a first lieutenant, with a platoon sergeant (with the rank of sergeant major), a platoon signaller, an armored personnel carrier (APC) driver and an APC gunner composing the platoon headquarters. There is also in the HQ's TO&E a designated marksman rifle —either an SVD or a Szép sniper rifle . The platoon
4445-529: The Makonde and other ethnic groups in northern Mozambique, where Portuguese influence was weakest. The bulk of its members were drawn from Makonde workers who had witnessed pro-independence rallies in British-ruled Tanganyika . In September 1964, FRELIMO commenced an armed insurgency against the Portuguese. Its decision to take up arms was influenced by a number of internal and external factors, namely
4572-601: The Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO), and a number of smaller factions such as the PRM , UNAMO , COREMO , UNIPOMO , and FUMO . RENAMO opposed FRELIMO's attempts to establish a socialist one-party state , and was heavily backed by the anti-communist governments of Rhodesia and South Africa who supported them in order to undermine FRELIMO's support for militant nationalist organisations in their own countries. Over one million Mozambicans were killed in
4699-484: The New Zealand Army , an infantry platoon is commanded by a 2nd lieutenant or a lieutenant, with a platoon sergeant, a platoon signaller and a medic (where relevant) composing the platoon headquarters. The platoon is sub-divided into three section of between 7-10 soldiers, each commanded by a corporal with a lance-corporal as the section second in command. Each section can be sub-divided into two fire-teams, commanded by
4826-686: The People's Republic of Mozambique . The independence of Mozambique and Angola in 1975 challenged white minority rule in Southern Africa. Firstly, the independence wars in Angola and Mozambique demonstrated that even with great military resources it was virtually impossible for a small white minority to guarantee the safety of its members, let alone to exert control over a mobilised and agitated population outside of major power centres. The downfall of Portuguese colonial rule gave hope to black liberation struggles in
4953-629: The Rome General Peace Accords , negotiated by the Community of Sant'Egidio with the support of the United Nations , were signed in Rome between President Chissano and RENAMO leader Afonso Dhlakama, which formally took effect on 15 October 1992. A UN peacekeeping force ( UNOMOZ ) of 7,500 arrived in Mozambique and oversaw a two-year transition to democracy. 2,400 international observers also entered
5080-751: The Beira, the Tete (also called the Tete Run which speaks for itself regarding its safety) and the Limpopo Corridor. Despite extensive fortification along these corridors they were frequently subject to attacks, bombings of the railway line and locomotives along the Beira Corridor cost the FRELIMO government millions as it struggled to provide adequate food and services and put strains on its ally Zimbabwe . FRELIMO initially received substantial military and development aid from
5207-579: The British, Austrian, Russian and Dutch armies. NATO defines a platoon, or detachment, as an organization larger than a section but smaller than a company. The standard NATO symbol for a platoon consists of three dots (●●●) placed above a framed unit icon. Member nations have stipulated the different names they use for organizations of this size. In the Australian Army , an infantry platoon has thirty-six soldiers organized into three eight-man sections and
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5334-520: The FRELIMO government and its support for the ZANLA movement against Rhodesia. RENAMO was composed of several anti-communist dissident groups which appeared immediately prior to, and shortly following, Mozambican independence. RENAMO's ranks included a number of Mozambican political exiles opposed FRELIMO on principle, including FRELIMO defectors disillusioned with its Marxist–Leninist ideology. In 1979, Matsangaissa died in RENAMO's unsuccessful first attack on
5461-533: The FRELIMO government directly. These included the bombing of the Beira Port in 1979 and the occupation of the town of Mapai in 1977. During one such raid, Rhodesian forces freed FRELIMO ex-official André Matsangaissa from a re-education camp. He was given military and organisational training and installed as the leader of the fledgling movement known as the Mozambique Resistance , which had been founded by
5588-662: The Gorongosa area. Tanzania also sent troops to back FRELIMO. North Korea , the German Democratic Republic and the Soviet Union also armed and trained FRELIMO forces, with the North Koreans establishing a Military Mission in Mozambique during the early 1980s North Korean advisers were instrumental in the formation of FRELIMO's first specialized counter-insurgency brigade, which was deployed from 1983 onward. East Germany provided military assistance and trained members of
5715-571: The HK417 in Afghanistan and possibly afterwards. The platoon may also have three MAG 58 general-purpose machine guns, one M2 Browning heavy machine gun or a Mk 19 grenade launcher at its disposal. In the Bangladesh Army, infantry regiments have platoons commanded by a warrant officer, assisted by a sergeant. The platoon strength is typically 32 soldiers. The platoon headquarter consists of 5 men;
5842-616: The MNR in exchange for FRELIMO's commitment to prevent the ANC from using Mozambique as a sanctuary to pursue its campaign to overthrow white minority rule in South Africa. Following a May 1983 car bombing in Pretoria, the South Africans bombed the capital, declaring they had killed 41 ANC Terrorists. With the economy in shambles, Machel was forced to scale back some of the more ambitious socialist policies; in
5969-610: The Mozambican FPLM in the GDR. In the spring of 1977, the Romanian Socialist Army sent 500 soldiers and officers to Mozambique. The Romanians were deployed to Maputo and Nacala . Specialized in operating tanks, these Romanian troops - under the supervision of some Soviet officers - trained Mozambican tank troops in the use of T-34 and T-54 tanks. Malawi had a complicated relationship with both FRELIMO and RENAMO. During
6096-590: The Portuguese Armed Forces, in the Portuguese vertical lizard pattern camouflage. With this uniform, they wore a beret with the same camouflage pattern. This non standard camouflage beret became their most distinctive uniform item. In parade, the Flechas also wore neck scarves and metal tabs in the left shoulder with the name of the unit. Allegedly, in some operations, they wore enemy uniforms in order not to be identified. The Flechas were also mostly armed with
6223-711: The Portuguese called Terras do Fim do Mundo (Lands of the End of the World) and which corresponded to the Frente Leste theater. In this theater, they achieved a great success in the early 1970s, contributing for the virtual Portuguese victory in the campaign. The success of the initial Flechas unit created by Oscar Cardoso, made PIDE/DGS to expand the concept and to created new groups attached to other of its local branches. General Costa Gomes – Portuguese Commander-in-Chief in Angola – argued that African soldiers were cheaper, knew
6350-439: The Portuguese colonial rule in an effort to counter regionalism and tribalism to build a single, national identity. Shortly after independence many local chiefs were ousted and removed from positions of power and many dissidents were imprisoned in re-education camps. Another source of conflict was the continuation of the aldeamento system that the Portuguese had introduced as a means of exerting control and inhibiting contact between
6477-462: The Portuguese colonial wars. Additionally Rhodesia used Mozambican ports as their primary means for imports and exports, with over 80% of all imports passing through Maputo and Beira into the heavily sanctioned country. The loss of these ports after President Machel declared sanctions against the country further weakened the already fragile economy of Rhodesia and angered the Ian Smith regime. Thus with
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#17328590285376604-488: The Portuguese left some purposefully sabotaged the economy, stealing profits from factories, driving tractors into the sea and pouring cement into sewers. The Portuguese exodus resulted in economic chaos as only few Africans had received higher education or even primary education under Portuguese rule with over 95% of the population illiterate. As a revolutionary Marxist party, FRELIMO embarked on overturning traditional, tribal governance structures that grew extensively under
6731-516: The RENAMO insurgency was renewed, mainly in the central and northern regions of the country. On 5 September 2014, former president Armando Guebuza and the leader of RENAMO Afonso Dhlakama signed the Accord on Cessation of Hostilities, which brought the military hostilities to a halt and allowed both parties to concentrate on the general elections to be held in October 2014. Yet, following the general elections,
6858-561: The Rhodesian secret service before the independence of Mozambique in 1975 as an intelligence gathering group on FRELIMO and ZANLA. It was created in Salisbury, Rhodesia under the auspices of Ken Flower , head of the Rhodesian CIO, and Orlando Cristina, a former anti-guerrilla operative for the Portuguese. RENAMO subsequently started operating in the Gorongosa region in order to destabilise
6985-470: The South African and Rhodesian white minority government position severely weakened by the events of 1974/75 both governments sought to undermine the newly independent countries and to shatter FRELIMO's goal of building the first, non-racial socialist state in Southern Africa. The countries capacity to support national liberation movements also concerned South Africa and Rhodesia and both countries sought for
7112-674: The Soviet Union and East Germany but later received support from France, the UK and the U.S. In the U.S., conservative circles lobbied for the U.S Government to provide open support to RENAMO but were opposed by the State Department, which finally gained the upper hand following the publication of numerous, detailed reports which documented RENAMO's brutality. RENAMO received extensive military and logistical support from Rhodesia and South Africa as well as organisational support from West Germany. In 1982, landlocked Zimbabwe directly intervened in
7239-406: The announcement sparked an uprising by right-wing elements in the white population, joined by disgruntled veterans of the colonial army and some black Mozambicans outraged by FRELIMO's pending unilateral assumption of power. The rebels appealed to South Africa and Rhodesia for military assistance to preempt the installation of a FRELIMO government. However, South African prime minister B. J. Vorster
7366-530: The capture of RENAMO headquarters at Gorongosa in central Mozambique in August 1985 revealed that the South African Army had continued and extended its already extensive logistical, communication and military support for RENAMO. FRELIMO, meanwhile, fully honoured its side of the deal to expel violent ANC members from its territory and to downgrade the ANC's presence in the south of the country. The United States
7493-408: The civil war in order to secure its vital transport routes in Mozambique, stop cross-border RENAMO raids, and help its old ally FRELIMO. Zimbabwe's help became crucial to the defence of the corridors, particularly the important Beira corridor. Later Zimbabwe became engaged further, carrying out several joint operations with FRELIMO against RENAMO strongholds. Thus RENAMO had to give up its base camps in
7620-439: The civil war. FRELIMO forced people into its employment and conscription periods often extended beyond what the law allowed. Living in the communal villages became mandatory in certain provinces. However, in some areas, cultural norms required households to live at some distance apart from each other. Therefore, many people preferred living in the countryside despite the risk of RENAMO attacks. Thus people would often be forced into
7747-522: The communal village to their old residences where RENAMO soldiers were, although it was also terrible there. Rape also became a widespread practice of FRELIMO soldiers. However, it was far less frequent and lacked the systematic nature of sexual violence perpetrated by RENAMO. As part of a series of measures following independence, FRELIMO introduced "re-education camps" to which petty criminals, political opponents, and alleged anti-social elements such as prostitutes were sent, oftentimes without trial due to
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#17328590285377874-435: The communal village where there were a lot of people. I tried to refuse and then they set fire to my house, my granaries, and my fields. They threatened me with death and they told me and my family to go forward. Inside the communal village we lived like pigs. It was like a yard for pigs. We were so many people living close to each other. If someone slept with his wife everyone could listen to what they were doing. When we went to
8001-476: The communal villages at gunpoint by FRELIMO soldiers or their Zimbabwean allies. As a local recalls: I never wanted to leave my old residence and come to the communal village. Even with the war, I wanted to stay where I had my land and granaries. Ever since a long time ago, we never lived with so many people together in the same place. Everyone must live in his own yard. The Komeredes [Zimbabwean soldiers] came to my house and said that I should leave my house and go to
8128-423: The country and the branch , but a platoon can be composed of 20–50 troops, although specific platoons may range from 10 to 100 people. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer . The platoon leader is usually a junior officer —a second or first lieutenant or an equivalent rank. The officer is usually assisted by a platoon sergeant . Rifle platoons normally consist of
8255-530: The country to supervise the elections held on 27–28 October 1994. The last UNOMOZ contingents departed in early 1995. By then out of a total population of 13-15 million at the time, the Mozambican civil war had caused about one million deaths, displaced 5.7 million internally and resulted with 1.7 million refugees. HALO Trust , a de-mining group funded by the US and UK, began operating in Mozambique in 1993, recruiting local workers to remove land mines scattered throughout
8382-474: The country's links with the West, and starting programs of internal economic and military reforms. During the war, hundreds of thousands of people died from famine, particularly the devastating famine of 1984. The famine was attributable to the weather conditions at the time but was significantly worsened by the conflict between RENAMO and FRELIMO. The Mozambican civil war saw war crimes committed by both sides on
8509-633: The country. In 1990, with the Cold War in its closing days, apartheid crumbling in South Africa, and support for RENAMO drying up in South Africa, the first direct talks between the FRELIMO government and RENAMO were held. FRELIMO's new draft constitution in July 1989 paved the way for a multiparty system, and a new constitution was adopted in November 1990. Mozambique was now a multiparty state, with periodic elections, and guaranteed democratic rights. On 4 October 1992,
8636-481: The country. The following year, Portugal established an informal military alliance with Rhodesia and South Africa known as the Alcora Exercise . Representatives from the defence establishments of the three countries agreed to meet periodically to share intelligence and coordinate operations against militant nationalist movements in their respective countries. Simultaneously, FRELIMO also pursued close relations with
8763-426: The country. Four HALO workers were killed in the subsequent effort to rid Mozambique of land mines, which continued to cause as many as several hundred civilian injuries and fatalities annually for years after the war. In September 2015, the country was finally declared to be free of land mines, with the last known device intentionally detonated as part of a ceremony. In mid-2013, after more than twenty years of peace,
8890-494: The crash was caused by errors made by the flight crew, a conclusion that was not universally accepted. Subsequent investigations have failed to reach a conclusion and the accident remains surrounded by conspiracy theories claiming that South Africa was responsible for the crash. Machel's successor was Joaquim Alberto Chissano , who had served as foreign minister from 1975 until Machel's death. Chissano continued Machel's policies of expanding Mozambique's international ties, particularly
9017-595: The direction of FRELIMO would be heavily influenced by the Soviet bloc. Black opposition movements in South Africa declared that they would bring FRELIMO officials to address rallies being held near Durban, Johannesburg, and at the University of Northern Transvaal. The South African authorities banned the demonstrations, but activists proceeded anyway in defiance of the police. By the end of the year, sixty people had been arrested for organising pro-FRELIMO rallies. In Mozambique,
9144-564: The disgruntled insurgents began targeting a vital rail line which linked Blantyre to Mozambican ports on the Indian Ocean coast. Beginning in April 1987 the Malawian government deployed troops into Mozambique to defend the rail line, where they were involved in a number of engagements with RENAMO. After 1980, South Africa became RENAMO's main supporter. The FRELIMO government, led by President Machel,
9271-428: The fields or to the cemeteries to bury the dead, the soldiers had to come behind and in front of us. When the women went to the river to wash themselves, the soldiers had to go too and they usually saw our women naked. Everything was a complete shame inside that corral. Usually to eat, we had to depend on humanitarian aid, but we never knew when it would arrive. It was terrible; that is why many people used to run away from
9398-445: The fighting or starved due to interruptions to food supply; an additional five million were displaced across the region. The Mozambican Civil War destroyed much of Mozambique's critical infrastructure in rural areas, including hospitals, rail lines, roads, and schools. FRELIMO's security forces and RENAMO insurgents were accused of committing numerous human rights abuses, including the use of child soldiers and indiscriminately salting
9525-458: The first platoon, the platoon leader's assistant is a Hauptfeldwebel ; in the second and third platoons, the assistant is an Oberfeldwebel . Each squad is led by an Oberfeldwebel , and its size corresponds to the typical passenger capacity of its squad vehicle (either wheeled or armored). Another of these vehicles is used for the Zugtrupp . Sergeants of inferior rank act as assistant squad leaders in
9652-485: The following months in anticipation of multi-party elections. However, FRELIMO insisted on being recognised as the sole legitimate representative of the new Mozambican nation. It rejected proposals for multi-party elections and took advantage of the chaos in the Portuguese military establishment to intensify its guerrilla campaign. In early September 1974, Portugal announced it was acceding to FRELIMO's request. No elections were going to be held in Mozambique; instead, after
9779-406: The former being more numerous into the late 1980s. Both were led by a platoon leader and assistant platoon leader and consisted of three 9-man rifle squads mounted in three vehicles. In both BMP and BTR squads, the driver and vehicle gunner stayed with the vehicle when the rest of the squad dismounted, and one squad in the platoon would have one of their rifleman armed with an SVD sniper rifle . There
9906-484: The former to resume its insurgency . This smaller second conflict ended with a peace treaty in 2019. Portugal fought a long and bitter counter-insurgency conflict in its three primary African colonies— Angola , Mozambique , and Guinea-Bissau —from the 1960s to the mid-1970s, when they finally received independence following the Carnation Revolution . In Mozambique, the armed struggle against colonial rule
10033-537: The government side in 1988. Other rebel factions during the conflict included COREMO, UNIPOMO, and FUMO. Having fought the Portuguese using guerrilla strategies, FRELIMO was now forced to defend itself against the very same methods it employed against the colonial regime. It had to defend vast areas and hundreds of locations, while RENAMO operated out of a few remote camps, carrying out raids against towns and important infrastructure. Furthermore, RENAMO systematically forced civilians into its employment, which
10160-682: The grenade launcher within each section. In the Swedish Army , a platoon is organized in the following way, according to Markstridsreglemente 4 Pluton (Ground combat regulation 4 Platoon): In the Royal Thai Army , a platoon is commanded by either a lieutenant or second lieutenant, assisted by a platoon sergeant, usually of the rank of sergeant major. In infantry units, rifle platoons are generally made up of five squads. These are three 11-man rifle squads, one 8-man command squad (consisting of platoon commander, sergeant, radio operator, 2 assistants and
10287-436: The independence struggle. This was especially the case in central and northern Mozambique, where households are traditionally separated by considerable distances. From 1975 to 1979, Rhodesian troops and forces repeatedly entered into Mozambique in order to carry out operations against supposed ZANLA (Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army) bases tolerated on Mozambican territory by the FRELIMO government and to destabilise
10414-554: The insurgent group RENAMO and subsequently fought in the Mozambique Civil War . Other Flechas were enlisted in the Rhodesian Army 's Selous Scouts . There were, in fact, a number of Portuguese special forces units that were unique to the Portuguese Colonial War : Platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four squads , sections , or patrols . Platoon organization varies depending on
10541-641: The latter; for example, by 1971 it had cultivated an alliance with the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (ZANLA). ZANLA insurgents were permitted to infiltrate Rhodesia from FRELIMO-held territory. During the late 1960s, the Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) also took advantage of the gradual disintegration of Portuguese military control in Mozambique to begin infiltrating South Africa from that territory. In April 1974, Portugal's longstanding Estado Novo political order
10668-418: The marches would result in severe beating and often execution. Attempting to escape was also punished harshly. One particularly gruesome practice was the mutilation and killing of children left behind by escaped parents. RENAMO's brutal tactics quickly earned it a negative reputation among much of Mozambique's population who referred to them as "Armed Bandits" and endorsed beatings against them, even pressuring
10795-725: The mediation of the Mozambican Church Council and the Italian government; these culminated in the Rome General Peace Accords which formally ended hostilities. As a result of the Rome General Peace Accords, RENAMO units were demobilised or integrated into the Mozambican armed forces and the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) was formed to aid in postwar reconstruction. Tensions between RENAMO and FRELIMO flared again between 2013 and 2018, prompting
10922-538: The mid-1980s, FRELIMO repeatedly accused Malawian president Hastings Banda of providing sanctuary for RENAMO insurgents. Mozambican security forces occasionally carried out raids into Malawi to strike at suspected RENAMO base camps in that country, a practice which brought them into direct confrontation with the Malawian Defence Force . In 1986, Malawi bowed to Mozambican pressure and expelled 12,000 RENAMO insurgents. Banda explicitly turned against RENAMO after
11049-686: The military into a public execution of four RENAMO rebels in 1983. RENAMO's atrocities gained worldwide attention in July 1987, following a massacre of 424 civilians during a raid on the rural town of Homoine , which was lightly defended by 90 FRELIMO soldiers. The victims of the massacre included hospital patients. This incident prompted an investigation into RENAMO's tactics by US-State Department consultant Robert Gersony, which finally put an end to ambitions from some conservative politicians for US government support for RENAMO. The report concluded that RENAMO's attack in Homoine did not significantly differ from
11176-615: The mortar is a MA 9 60mm Commando Mortar. The Platoon is structured as below: Platoon HQ (1 Officer, 4 Other Ranks): Platoon Officer Commanding (Platoon Commander): Lieutenant/Captain: MA 3 Carbine, MA 5 Pistol Platoon Second in Command (Platoon Sergeant): Sergeant: MA 3 Carbine Mortar Crew 1: Private: MA 9 60mm Commando Mortar Mortar Crew 2: Private: MA 3 Carbine Signaller: Private: MA 3 Carbine No. (1) Rifle Section (10 Other Ranks): Corporal No. (2) Rifle Section (10 Other Ranks): Corporal No. (3) Rifle Section (10 Other Ranks): Corporal Each Section, consisting of 10 Other Ranks,
11303-429: The nationalisation of important economic facilities abandoned by fleeing Portuguese. Numerous political parties sprung up virtually overnight and vied for power with FRELIMO. Many of these parties like COREMO and UNAR were made up of FRELIMO dissidents such as Uria Simango and Lazaro Nkavandame. Both men were arrested and convicted in a public trial before Samora Machel before being sent to re-education camps. Simango
11430-465: The other by the lance corporal. Each fireteam (also called a "brick" by Australian soldiers) has one soldier with an F89 Minimi LSW and the other three armed with F88 Steyr assault rifles . One rifle per fireteam has an attached 40 mm grenade launcher; one of the grenadiers is the lance corporal. Fireteam bravo has a HK417 7.62mm for the designated marksman role. More recently, the designated marksman of each Australian fireteam has been issued
11557-444: The other squads. A Fallschirmjägerzug ("airborne infantry platoon") has special operations responsibilities and has command positions one rank higher than corresponding positions in a standard infantry platoon. A captain ( Hauptmann ) is the platoon leader, assisted by a first lieutenant and each squad has a second lieutenant or a master sergeant in charge, often supported by a long-service sergeant or skilled senior corporal. In
11684-403: The platoon commanded by a higher-ranking officer, while in special forces units like Shayetet 13 and Sayeret Matkal all combatants are officers. In Myanmar, a Platoon is called တပ်စု (Tat Su). A Rifle Platoon has an authorised strength of 1 Officer and 34 Other Ranks. A total of 35 soldiers. The platoon is commanded by either a Lieutenant (ဗိုလ်) or a Captain (ဗိုလ်ကြီး) who is assisted by
11811-469: The platoon commander, sergeant, a radio operator and 2 soldiers carrying a rocket launcher. The platoon HQ commands 3 rifle section of 9 men each. A section led by a corporal, who's assisted by a lance corporal. Each section also has 2 light machine gunners. In the Canadian Army , the infantry platoon commander is a second lieutenant, lieutenant or a junior captain assisted by a platoon warrant (who holds
11938-612: The platoon comprises 29 soldiers, of whom eight are vehicle crew. In the Indian army, a platoon consists of three sections. Platoons are commanded by junior commissioned officers (JCOs). Sections are the smallest components in the Indian army consisting of ten men and commanded by a havildar . In the Corps of Engineers , a platoon in an engineer company (referred to as a "field company") differs from an infantry platoon, in that it has four sections of ten man, comprising nine sappers and an NCO , and
12065-527: The platoon is the Zug (same word as for train , draught , move or streak ), consisting of a Zugtrupp ("platoon troop" or platoon headquarters squad), of four to six men, and three squads ( Gruppen ) of eight to eleven men each. An Oberfeldwebel ("sergeant first class") is in charge of the Zugtrupp . The Zugtrupp provides support for the platoon leader and acts as a reserve force (such as two additional snipers or an anti-tank weapon crew). Three Züge make up
12192-569: The platoon is the ozeuli . Translated, it means "Group of 20" but has no connection with the number. It has been transferred into modern usage from medieval army reforms of the Georgian King David the Builder . Originally, it was meant to be a small detachment of 20 men to be led by a leader of corresponding rank. Almost all smaller formations are based on the designations of those reforms, which originally suggested tactical flexibility by keeping
12319-443: The population and the rebels. It coerced thousands of peasants to move into communal villages and communal farms where they were given food, water and healthcare, but lacked adequate tools and money to farm effectively. FRELIMO hoped that this system would enable the fulfilment of its ambitious agricultural development goals, but the implementation often alienated parts of the rural population, whom FRELIMO had popular support from during
12446-405: The rank of warrant officer , but can be a sergeant). It is usually divided into three eight to ten person sections and a heavy weapons detachment that deploys a GPMG , and a Carl Gustav rifle, depending on mission requirements. Sections are commanded by a sergeant or master corporal with a master corporal or corporal in the second in command position; two members of a section carry C9 LMGs and
12573-662: The recent successes of indigenous anti-colonial guerrilla movements in French Indochina and French Algeria , as well as encouragement from contemporary African statesmen such as Ahmed Ben Bella , Gamal Abdel Nasser , and Julius Nyerere . FRELIMO guerrillas initially received training primarily in North Africa and the Middle East in countries such as Algeria , with the Soviet Union and People's Republic of China providing military equipment. Portugal responded by embarking on
12700-473: The refugees interviewed for the Gersony Report attributed 94% of murders, 94% of abductions and 93% of lootings to RENAMO. However, this conclusion has been disputed by the French Marxist scholar Michel Cahen, who states that both sides were equally to blame: There can be no doubt that the war was largely one fought against civilians... I am also convinced that the war was equally savage on both sides, even if
12827-467: The reinstatement of tribal leaders to positions of authority. Thus, despite its far superior numbers, FRELIMO was unable to adequately defend most regions except the most important cities by the mid-1980s. RENAMO was able to carry out raids virtually anywhere in the country except for the major cities. Transportation had become a perilous business. Even armed convoys were not safe from RENAMO attacks and were frequently attacked. FRELIMO reacted by reusing
12954-403: The remainder carry C7 or C8 assault rifles fitted with either optics or a grenade launcher. A section is broken into two assault groups, similar to the British and Australian organization. Three infantry platoons make up a typical infantry company, sometimes with a heavy weapons or support platoon in addition. Specialist platoons, like reconnaissance, or "recce" platoons, that may be attached to
13081-450: The rural population in areas controlled by RENAMO, forcing them to fulfill three main tasks: 1) produce food for RENAMO, 2) transport goods and ammunition, 3) in the case of women, serve as sex slaves. RENAMO's stated goal was to free Mozambique from "Machelist Communism." RENAMO's political programme centered around the abandonment of FRELIMO's socialist policies, the adoption of a free market economy, and more traditionalist concerns such as
13208-516: The section commander and second in command respectively, as well as normal two man scout, rifle and gun teams. There are three platoons in a rifle company, which is commanded by a major, and three rifle companies in an infantry battalion, which is commanded by a lieutenant-colonel. An infantry battalion contains an organic support company (mortars, machine guns, etc.) and a logistics company (transport and stores). Philippine Army rifle platoons consists of three squads, each with nine men. The nine men of
13335-409: The size of small units in round numbers (10, 20, 100). Battalions and brigades were not affected by that system. It is unknown whether that usage was abandoned in the 1820s or earlier, but in present days a Georgian platoon still called "Ozeuili" has a similar size to that of other armies. Normally for infantry it has 32 men but can vary depending on the type of unit. The German Army equivalent of
13462-553: The standard small arms in use by the Portuguese Military, including the Heckler & Koch G3 and FN FAL 7.62×51mm battle rifles . They also frequently used captured AK-47 rifles and they showed a special preference for the use of tribal traditional weapons, including spears and the bows and arrows which gave origin to the name of the unit. In 1975 a group of ex-Flechas who had fled Mozambique after its Independence formed
13589-450: The system is claimed in the 1829 London Encyclopaedia to have been introduced by Gustavus Adolphus the Great of Sweden in 1618, the "peloton" appears to predate his birth. In the French Army in the 1670s, a battalion was divided into 18 platoons who were grouped into three "firings" with each platoon either firing or reloading at any given time during a fusillade . This system was also used in
13716-492: The tactics it normally employed in such raids. The report described RENAMO's methods in the following way: The attack stage was sometimes reported to begin with what appeared to the inhabitants to be the indiscriminate firing of automatic weapons by a substantial force of attacking RENAMO combatants. [...] Reportedly the Government soldiers aim their defensive fire at the attackers, while the RENAMO forces shoot indiscriminately into
13843-553: The terrain better, and were better able to create a relationship with the local populace, a tactic that predates the ' hearts and minds ' strategy later used by United States forces in Vietnam at the time. Flechas units were also created and operated in Mozambique at the very end stages of the conflict, following the dismissal of Kaúlza de Arriaga on the eve of the Portuguese coup in 1974. The units were to continue to cause problems for
13970-490: The then apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia . Second, in both countries revolutionary socialist movements gained power. These movements had been cooperating with the black liberation movements in South Africa and Rhodesia, and continued to openly support them, offering them a safe haven from where they could coordinate their operations and train new forces. As President Machel put it in a speech in 1975: "The struggle in Zimbabwe
14097-465: The total domination of the media by FRELIMO for the 15 years of the war has led even those most desirous of remaining objective to attribute the majority of the atrocities to RENAMO. The people themselves were not duped: they attributed various acts of banditry and certain massacres to "RENAMO 1," but others to "RENAMO 2" – the euphemistic term for FRELIMO soldiers and militiamen acting on their own. FRELIMO soldiers also committed serious war crimes during
14224-420: The units specialised in reconnaissance, tracking, unconventional tactics, and pseudo-terrorist operations. The Flechas were created and organized by Sub-Inspector Oscar Cardoso, when he was the head of the PIDE branch at Serpa Pinto, Angola (present day Menongue ). Initially, the unit was intended to support the activities of the branch, whose area of responsibility covered the remote eastern areas of Angola that
14351-530: The use of child soldiers and the employment of the Gandira system, which involved forced labour and sexual violence. Women would often be abducted in the fields, then raped as a means to boost troop morale. The Gandira system also contributed to famine, as the rural population was made to produce food for RENAMO and unable to produce food for themselves. Others were made to transport supplies for RENAMO in long marches. Refusing to participate in Gandira or falling behind on
14478-636: The village as a viable entity appears to be the main objective of such attacks. This type of attack causes several types of civilian casualties. As is normal in guerrilla warfare, some civilians are killed in crossfire between the two opposing forces, although this tends in the view of the refugees to account for only a minority of the deaths. A larger number of civilians in these attacks and other contexts were reported to be victims of purposeful shooting deaths and executions, of axing, knifing, bayoneting, burning to death, forced drowning and asphyxiation, and other forms of murder where no meaningful resistance or defense
14605-472: The village. In some cases refugees perceived that the attacking force had divided into three detachments: one conducts the military attack; another enters houses and removes valuables, mainly clothing, radios, food, pots and other possessions; a third moves through the looted houses with pieces of burning thatch setting fire to the houses in the village. There were several reports that schools and health clinics are typical targets for destruction. The destruction of
14732-625: The word came into the English language via the French peloton ("small detachment"), from the Middle French pelote ("little ball") and derived from the Low Latin "pilotta", itself derived from the Classical Latin "pila". The use of the word is first attested in c. 1547, referring to "a subdivision of a company-sized military unit normally consisting of two or more squads or sections"." The meaning
14859-517: Was a civil war fought in Mozambique from 1977 to 1992. Like many regional African conflicts during the late twentieth century, the impetus for the Mozambican Civil War included local dynamics exacerbated greatly by the polarizing effects of Cold War politics. The war was fought between Mozambique's ruling Marxist Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO), the anti-communist insurgent forces of
14986-406: Was a group of soldiers firing a volley together, while a different platoon reloaded. This suggests an augmentative intention. Since soldiers were often organized in two or three lines, each firing its volley together, this would have normally meant platoons organized so that half or a third of the company is firing at once. The platoon was originally a firing unit rather than an organization. While
15113-548: Was called a platoon sergeant major. Within the Colombian Army , a training platoon (in Spanish pelotón ) is often commanded by a higher-ranking soldier known as a dragoneante , who is selected for his excellence in discipline and soldiering skills. However, a dragoneante is still a soldier and can be removed from his position if his commander sees fit. For combatant platoons (platoons engaged in combat with guerrilla rebels ),
15240-648: Was dismantled as a result of the Carnation Revolution. The revolution also brought to power a military junta known as the Armed Forces Movement , which was committed to divesting itself of the colonies and ending the increasingly costly African wars. The turmoil in the metropole was mirrored by increasing instability in Mozambique and a further weakening of Portugal's grip on its East African colony. Various new political parties were formed in Mozambique, including several by FRELIMO splinter factions, during
15367-410: Was done by mass abduction and intimidation, especially of children in order to use them as soldiers. It is estimated that one-third of RENAMO forces were child soldiers. Abducted people also had to serve RENAMO in administrative or public service functions in the areas it controlled. Another way of using civilians for military purposes was the so-called system of "Gandira." This system especially affected
15494-491: Was economically devastated by the war and sought to end the conflict and continue the development of Mozambique. Even the military and diplomatic support with the socialist bloc could not alleviate the nation's economic misery and famine as a result of the war. After negotiations, a reluctant Machel signed a non-aggression pact with South Africa, known as the Nkomati Accord . In return, Pretoria promised to stop assistance to
15621-409: Was either one empty seat in each BTR or two empty seats in each BMP to accommodate the platoon leader and assistant platoon leader. Tank platoons prior to the late 1980s consisted of a platoon headquarters squad and three tank squads, each consisting of one T-64 , T-72 or T-80 tank for 12 personnel and 4 tanks total; platoons that used the older T-54 , T-55 or T-62s added another crewmember for
15748-648: Was non-involved in the conflict. By the end of the 1980s RENAMO, whilst incapable of capturing or securing any large cities, was still able to move freely in rural areas and attack smaller settlements at will. FRELIMO retained control of larger urban areas and the corridors, but was unable to effectively protect the countryside from RENAMO attacks. FRELIMO was also unable to pin down RENAMO and force it into more direct conventional warfare. On 19 October 1986, President Machel died when his presidential aircraft crashed near South Africa's border under mysterious circumstances. A South African sponsored investigation concluded that
15875-401: Was reportedly later extrajudicially executed whilst Nkavandame reportedly died of natural causes. Furthermore, the nationalisation of many formerly Portuguese-owned enterprises, fear of a retaliation against whites, and an ultimatum to either accept Mozambican citizenship or leave the country within 90 days, drove the majority of the 370,000 white Portuguese Mozambicans out of the country. As
16002-527: Was spearheaded by the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), which was initially formed in exile but later succeeded in wresting control of large sections of the country from the Portuguese. FRELIMO drew its initial base of support primarily from Mozambican migrant workers and expatriate intellectuals who had been exposed to the emerging popularity of anti-colonial and nationalist causes overseas, as well as
16129-570: Was unwilling to intervene, fearing condemnation from the international community for any interference with the decolonisation process in a neighbouring country. Rhodesian prime minister Ian Smith was more sympathetic to the rebels' cause but felt that he would unable to act without the guarantee of South African support. The uprising was eventually crushed after four days by an unlikely coalition of Portuguese and FRELIMO forces. On 25 June 1975 Mozambique formally gained independence from Portugal, with FRELIMO Leader Samora Machel becoming President of
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