Mozambique: NGO criticizes authorities’ silence on police violent repression

The Mozambican Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) criticized the authorities on Monday for not yet releasing the “clarifications” that the President of the Republic promised about the “violent repression” of the marches in honor of the ‘rapper’ Azagaia”.

“Thirty days after Filipe Nyusi’s promise, there is still no clarification on the violent repression of the march on March 18,” the CDD said in a statement.

The Ministry of Interior, which was tasked with investigating the circumstances of the “brutal police action,” has not yet commented on the matter, the statement said.

For the non-governmental organization, the silence around the issue follows a pattern of the Mozambican authorities, characterized by a “history of failure to keep promises by the government of Filipe Nyusi.

CDD recalled that five days after the events of March 18, the President of the Republic reacted to the occurrences through a speech in which he condemned police violence and criticized people he called “infiltrators” and “ill-intentioned people” among the demonstrators.

“In light of the events in the country’s capital, Maputo, we direct the Ministry of the Interior to proceed with an inquiry into the reasons that led the police to adopt a posture of physical confrontation with young people. Also, to identify those who seek to take advantage of the individual virtue of the young ‘rapper’ Azagaia to achieve their intentions”, said at the time, the Mozambican Head of state.

The CDD pointed out that the police forces violated fundamental rights and the Constitution of the Republic, by assaulting peaceful marchers in several cities in the country. Last week, the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR), Beatriz Buchili, said in parliament that four police officers and 10 civilians are the target of criminal charges, following the police repression of the March 18 demonstrations.

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Khalid Al Mouahidi : A binational from the US and Morocco, Khalid El Mouahidi has worked for several american companies in the Maghreb Region and is currently based in Casablanca, where he is doing consulting jobs for major international companies . Khalid writes analytical pieces about economic ties between the Maghreb and the Mena Region, where he has an extensive network