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Soviet Union

Mozambique

In Mozambique the Soviet Union supplied arms to the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente da Liberatação de Moçambique-- Frelimo) during its 1975 effort to win power, and in 1977 the Soviet Union and Mozambique signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation. In 1977 a disaffected wing of Frelimo and other Mozambicans formed the Mozambique National Resistance Movement (Movimento Nacional da Resistência de Moçambique--Renamo), which began increasingly successful military operations against the Frelimo government. In the late 1980s, the Soviet Union stepped up military assistance to the Frelimo government in the face of the eroding security situation. The Frelimo government, because of inadequate Soviet military assistance, acted to diversify suppliers by obtaining weaponry and military advisory assistance from Britain and Portugal, among others.

Data as of May 1989