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Amnesty calls for Mozambique death threats probe

Thursday October 18 2018
Mozambique

An elderly voter receives instructions before casting her ballot for Mozambique's local elections at a polling station in Maputo on October 10, 2018. The ruling Frelimo party won the elections. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By ARNALDO VIEIRA

Lobby group Amnesty International (AI) has urged the Mozambique authorities to investigate the allegations of intimidation death threats to journalists, the clergy and civil society leaders.

The groups in Nampula Province, about 2,035km north of Maputo, started receiving the intimidating telephone calls and text messages following the nationwide local government elections on October 10, AI said.

Nampula city is the provincial capital and has a population of 471,717, making it the third largest city after Maputo and Beira.

Mozambique held the local polls in a key test for the ongoing peace talks between the ruling Frelimo party and Renamo – negotiations which began in 2016 to end three years of violence between government troops and the opposition.

Beyond the investigations, the authorities must ensure that the rights to life, freedom of association and expression are fully respected and protected ahead of the 2019 General Election and beyond, Amnesty said.

“This is a post-election witch-hunt targeting anyone who expresses critical views of the government and is suspected of associating with the main opposition, Renamo, in Nampula,” AI quoted its Deputy Regional Director for Southern Africa, Mr Muleya Mwananyanda, as saying.

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The victims

The lobby said it knows of at least eight individuals who have been targeted with anonymous phone calls and text messages, accusing them of contributing to the defeat of Frelimo in Nacala-Porto and Nampula cities.

Those behind the threatening calls and text messages have told the victims to “be careful” and that “their days are numbered”.

They were also warned that they “would disappear without a trace”.

Victims, the lobby group pointed out, were blamed for monitoring polling stations and publishing live election results direct from those stations, allegedly causing Frelimo’s defeat.

One of the individuals targeted with threats has since gone into hiding, fearing for his life, AI said.

“These disturbing messages appear to be intended as a warning to these journalists and civil society leaders, who are being targeted simply for exercising their human rights,” said Mr Mwananyanda.

An armed wing

The National Electoral Commission (CNE) on Sunday confirmed that Frelimo had won local elections.

According to CNE, Frelimo won in 44 municipalities, out of the total 53.

Frelimo clinched the capital Maputo, while Renamo won in seven municipalities, including two capitals of Quelimane and Nampula.

Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) won in Beira city, the Sofala Province capital.

In 2013, Renamo boycotted local polls alleging fraud and police intimidation to its supporters. Frelimo went on to win in 49 municipalities.

Renamo has maintained an armed wing since the civil war, and unrest again erupted between 2013 and 2016.

Frelimo has ruled Mozambique since its independence from Portugal in 1975.

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