Mozambique troops committed human rights violations, says Amnesty International
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Mbombela/Maputo — Mozambique’s armed forces torture detainees and have discarded a large number of bodies in apparent mass graves as they fight an insurgency linked to Islamic State (IS) in an area rich in natural gas, Amnesty International said.
The London-based organisation said in a statement on its website on Wednesday that it had verified “gruesome footage” showing crimes against detainees in the northern Cabo Delgado province, and called for an independent investigation into the alleged abuses.
Orlando Mudumane, a police spokesperson, declined to comment and referred queries to the government. A government spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.
“The horrific videos and photos we analysed are evidence of the serious human-rights violations and shocking violence that has been taking place in Cabo Delgado, away from the international spotlight,” Deprose Muchena, Amnesty’s regional director for East and Southern Africa, said in the statement.
More than 1,500 people have died since violence erupted in northern Mozambique three years ago, and at least 250,000 have fled their homes. Government forces are trying to win back control from the insurgents of the port town of Mocimboa da Praia, about 60km from where companies including Total plan to liquefy offshore natural-gas reserves for export.
Bloomberg
The London-based organisation said in a statement on its website on Wednesday that it had verified “gruesome footage” showing crimes against detainees in the northern Cabo Delgado province, and called for an independent investigation into the alleged abuses.
Orlando Mudumane, a police spokesperson, declined to comment and referred queries to the government. A government spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.
“The horrific videos and photos we analysed are evidence of the serious human-rights violations and shocking violence that has been taking place in Cabo Delgado, away from the international spotlight,” Deprose Muchena, Amnesty’s regional director for East and Southern Africa, said in the statement.
More than 1,500 people have died since violence erupted in northern Mozambique three years ago, and at least 250,000 have fled their homes. Government forces are trying to win back control from the insurgents of the port town of Mocimboa da Praia, about 60km from where companies including Total plan to liquefy offshore natural-gas reserves for export.
Bloomberg