NGO says human rights situation in Mozambique is ‘heartbreaking’

The Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), a Mozambican non-governmental organization (NGO), this Friday described the country’s human rights situation in the last quarter of 2023 as “heartbreaking”, accusing the police of killing innocent citizens.

“The situation is desolate, the State of Mozambique through its police and rapid response forces is the main instrument of abuses and violations of human rights, with the dominant note being the killing of Mozambican citizens during this period,” said Adriano Nuvunga, CDD director at a press conference.

Nuvunga was speaking on the sidelines of the presentation of the reports “Human Rights Situation in the Fourth Quarter of 2023” and “Human Rights Situation during the 2023 Local Elections” prepared by the NGO.

The CDD director pointed to the killings of citizens by police in Namicopo district, Nampula province, in the north of the country, during opposition demonstrations against the results of the October 11 municipal elections, as evidence of a lack of respect for fundamental rights.

“I was in Namicopo where the state of Mozambique, through its police, deliberately killed Mozambicans,” he emphasized, then declaring that “the state must be brought to justice.”

He also pointed to the murder in December of journalist Joao Chamus at his home in Maputo as another example of the deteriorating human rights situation in Mozambique.

“No one should die (be killed), especially when he is a journalist,” he emphasized.

Police made arrests following the murder of João Chamus, but nothing is known about developments in the case.

The CDD director accused the police of having “death squads” and also blamed corporate agents for the death last July of young Massacar Abacar, known as “Chebolinha”, in a Maputo police station cell.

At the time, police officials said “Chebolinya” died of natural causes, denying any responsibility for the death.

“We will bear the consequences [aos responsáveis pela violação dos direitos humanos]let’s take this to PGR [Procuradoria-Geral da República]cases of abuse, because the state must be held accountable,” stressed Adriano Nuvunga, noting that police weapons are intended to protect citizens, not to kill.

Yara Lamugio, a human rights lawyer who presented the report “Human Rights Situation during the 2023 Local Elections,” said that “the fourth quarter was the scene of consistent human rights violations.”

The violations “occurred arbitrarily,” with a focus on violations of “the right to life and the direct right to protest.”

Lusa today contacted the police headquarters of the Republic of Mozambique, who believed that the authorities had already made a full statement regarding the episodes that occurred during the election period.

At the end of December, the General Commander of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) apologized for the deaths caused by the authorities, considering that these were “unpredictable” episodes and that the purpose of the corporation was to guarantee order.

“Unpredictable situations always happen and we have had incidents here. [Chiure] in which the young man died. The police regret this incident and (…) apologize for this and several other recorded incidents,” Bernardino Rafael said during a rally in the province of Cabo Delgado.

“It is not normal in the world for the Chief Police Commander to apologize, but as we want to achieve the humanization of your police force, it is the moral, social and spiritual duty of the Chief Commander to apologize for the mistakes made by the police officers. We apologize to all the families that we have not served properly,” Bernardino Rafael added at the time.