Mozambican NGO criticizes authorities’ silence on police “violent repression”

The Mozambican organization Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) today criticized the authorities 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 of March 18,” said the CDD in a statement.

The Ministry of Interior, 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 (NGO), 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 the Mozambican head of state at the time.

The CDD pointed out that the police forces violated fundamental rights and the Constitution of the Republic by assaulting peaceful marchers in several cities.

Last week, the Prosecutor General of the Republic (PGR), Beatriz Buchili, said in parliament that four police officers and ten civilians are the targets of criminal charges following the police repression of the March 18 demonstrations.

“Regarding the events of March 18, 2023, they point to situations of violation of the law, which led to the establishment of criminal proceedings to clarify the facts and accountability of those involved,” said the PGR.

Lusa contacted the Presidency of the Republic and the Ministry of Interior, which have not yet commented on the criticism of the CDD.