(Johannesburg) – Mozambican authorities have did not conduct credible investigations into the wave of political killings following the October 2024 basic elections, Human Rights Watch mentioned at this time. Unidentified gunmen, some carrying safety pressure uniforms, shot useless a minimum of 10 key opposition get together officers from October by way of March 2025.
Most people focused had been concerned in organizing nationwide avenue protests contesting the election outcomes. They both belonged to the principle opposition get together, Optimistic Individuals for the Improvement of Mozambique (Partido Optimista pelo Desenvolvimento de Moçambique, or Podemos) or have been supporters of the unbiased presidential candidate, Venâncio Mondlane. The police have introduced investigations into among the circumstances however haven’t recognized or arrested any suspects or offered public updates on the standing of investigations.
“The failure of Mozambique’s police to credibly examine the killings of key opposition members sends a chilling message that the authorities have no real interest in bringing these accountable to justice,” mentioned Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Immediate, thorough, and efficient investigations and honest prosecutions are wanted if these apparently politically motivated killings are to cease.”
Human Rights Watch documented the killings of 10 opposition figures throughout the nation by way of distant interviews with 21 individuals, together with witnesses, family members of the victims, journalists, and the police.
In a single case, gunmen in a automotive ambushed Elvino Dias, the lawyer for Mondlane and the Podemos get together, and Paulo Guambe, a Podemos election official, in Maputo and shot them useless. The opposite circumstances, most of them Podemos get together officers and supporters, have been related.
On October 24, Mozambique’s election fee declared Daniel Chapo and his ruling get together Entrance for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frente de Libertação de Moçambique, or Frelimo) the winners of the nation’s October 9 basic elections. The elections have been marred by political killings, widespread irregularities, and tight restrictions on freedom of expression and meeting.
The opposition Podemos get together contested the election ends in nationwide demonstrations. Safety forces cracked down on the protests, killing over 300 individuals and injuring a whole bunch extra. Podemos submitted a report back to the Workplace of the Legal professional Common alleging that greater than 100 get together members were killed and alleged that the police deliberate and carried out the killings.
Victims’ family members and attorneys informed Human Rights Watch that they often reached out to police for particulars of the investigations however didn’t obtain any indication that there was any investigation underneath approach or that authorities had recognized a suspect in any of the circumstances. No updates have been offered to relations or the general public.
Worldwide human rights treaties to which Mozambique is get together, together with the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, obligate the federal government to analyze and prosecute alleged violations of human rights and supply acceptable treatments to victims.
The Southern African Improvement Neighborhood, the African Union, involved governments, and main developmental companions of Mozambique ought to name on the federal government to make sure that there’s a thorough investigation into the post-election violence, together with obvious politically motivated killings, and pretty prosecute all these accountable, Human Rights Watch mentioned.
“Impunity for assaults in opposition to political rivals encourages additional political violence and undermines democratic governance,” Budoo-Scholtz mentioned. “The Mozambican authorities ought to order a critical and neutral investigation into abuses earlier than, throughout, and for the reason that October elections and maintain all these accountable to account.”
For additional particulars on politically motivated killings documented by Human Rights Watch, please see under.
The protests following the October 2024 elections in Mozambique drew 1000’s of individuals contesting their results in addition to the rising value of residing and different social issues. They pressured the short-term closure of banks, colleges, and outlets in Maputo and different cities. The media reported in depth looting and vandalism and circumstances of protesters killing cops and destroying state and personal constructions and workplaces of the ruling get together, Frelimo, throughout the nation.
Safety forces have been implicated in critical human rights abuses, together with the unlawful killing of over 300 protesters and bystanders, amongst them kids. Safety forces have additionally injured a whole bunch of individuals and arbitrarily detained 1000’s of others.
Opposition events have alleged that brokers of the Nationwide Felony Investigation Service (Serviço Nacional de Investigação Felony, SERNIC) have gone from home to deal with assaulting individuals accused of organizing demonstrations. Podemos alleged that 106 of its members and supporters have been murdered for the reason that protests started.
The native monitoring group Plataforma Determine documented a minimum of 18 killings of outstanding opposition members throughout the nation as of March 25.
Obvious Politically Motivated Killings Since October 2024
Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe, in Maputo
On October 18, 2024, after 9 p.m., unidentified gunmen shot dead Elvino Dias, the lawyer for the Podemos get together and unbiased presidential candidate, Venâncio Mondlane, and Paulo Guambe, a Podemos election official, in Maputo. A 27-year-old witness informed Human Rights Watch that gunmen in civilian garments, driving a white Mazda BT-50, ambushed the victims’ automotive because it made a flip onto Joaquim Chissano Avenue, firing a number of photographs from what gave the impression to be Kalashnikov-style assault rifles. The Middle for Democracy and Human Rights and the media reported that 25 bullet rounds were fired on the car.
The police mentioned the 2 males died on the scene. The assault drew worldwide condemnation, together with from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. Following the assault, SERNIC reportedly confiscated the CCTV cameras from banks and an embassy close to the scene, allegedly to help with investigations. Throughout a information convention on November 22, a SERNIC spokesperson mentioned an investigation was underway, however nobody has been arrested or charged with the killings, and there was no public replace on the standing of the investigation.
Eugénio Raúl Madeira, in Zambezia Province
On December 22, within the early hours of the morning, unidentified gunmen fatally shot Eugénio Raúl Madeira, the Podemos mobilization secretary for Mocuba district, in Zambezia province, close to his home. A buddy of Madeira who witnessed the assault informed Human Rights Watch {that a} white Toyota car with tinted home windows and and not using a license plate approached the sq., as Madeira and others ready to start out their workday as moto-taxi drivers. The buddy mentioned that somebody fired two bullets from contained in the automotive, placing Madeira within the head:
We have been positioning our motorbikes to start out the day when this Toyota approached slowly. I initially thought it was a shopper, however I then realized the automotive didn’t have a license plate. Whereas I used to be nonetheless making an attempt to determine what was taking place, the window of the entrance passenger seat opened, a pistol emerged and fired two bullets straight at Eugénio’s head. He died there.
Madeira and one other Podemos official, Xadreque Francisco, had been the get together’s focal factors in Mocuba district and leaders of the protests there. Throughout a violent protest in November, Zambezia provincial police had accused the 2 males of acts of vandalism.
4 days after Madeira’s killing, three gunmen in civilian garments broke into Francisco’s home early on December 22 and fired a number of photographs, wounding him, the media reported.
Abudo Bacar Lawia, in Cabo Delgado Province
On the night of January 3, 2025, Abudo Bacar Lawia, the chef mobilizer of the protests within the Montepuez district of Cabo Delgado province, was gunned down outdoors a buddy’s home. The buddy mentioned that at about 8 p.m., as they stood by the gate of the compound, two males approached carrying the uniforms of the communal militia, a government-organized native counterterrorism pressure.
“We didn’t suspect them as a result of we thought they have been doing their regular evening patrolling of the city,” the buddy mentioned. “Then instantly I heard gunshots, and I misplaced consciousness. … I wakened on the hospital the place I used to be handled for a gunshot harm [in the shoulder].”
Two witnesses, a buddy of Lawia and a police officer, mentioned that Lawia died after being hit within the chest by two bullets fired from a pistol.
Earlier than his dying, Lawia had acquired dying threats in messages and telephone calls, a relative informed Human Rights Watch. “He was an open supporter of VM [Venâncio Mondlane] and didn’t shrink back from main and organizing protests,” he mentioned. “Cops warned him a number of occasions that he can be focused sooner or later, however he didn’t care.”
On January 6, a police spokesman for Cabo Delgado confirmed that the investigative police had collected proof from the crime scene and {that a} prison file had been opened. Human Rights Watch contacted the Cabo Delgado police spokesperson on February 7 through textual content message looking for an replace on the standing of the investigation. The spokesperson referred Human Rights Watch to her superiors, however the Cabo Delgado police didn’t reply to Human Rights Watch calls.
Rachide Eduardo, in Cabo Delgado Province
Rachide Eduardo was shot and killed on January 6, at about 6 p.m., at his dwelling in Ntutupue city, within the Ancuabe district of Cabo Delgado province. Eduardo was a Podemos get together chief in Ntutupue and had helped set up and lead varied anti-government demonstrations throughout the district. He was an in depth buddy of Arlindo Chissale, a journalist actively supporting the opposition candidate, who was allegedly forcibly disappeared on January 7 by a gaggle of males, three of whom wore navy uniforms.
A neighbor of Eduardo mentioned that on the evening of his dying, he heard a number of gunshots coming from inside his home. He noticed two males rapidly depart the premises and enter a Mahindra pickup car, like these utilized by Mozambican safety forces. He mentioned:
I noticed the automotive parked for about an hour outdoors Rachide’s home. It wasn’t the primary time. Now and again, that automotive would park somewhere else alongside our street. Typically the occupants wore uniforms … that darkish inexperienced uniform like UIR [Unit of Rapid Intervention]. On the day they killed Rachide, the 2 assassins have been carrying plain garments.
Sande Antonio, in Sofala Province
Sande Antonio, 30, a Podemos get together delegate in Sofala province, was shot useless at his dwelling in Buzi city, within the early hours of January 16. A Podemos official, Vale Magalhaes, told the media that at about 1 a.m. that day, Antonio despatched a textual content message saying that cops had surrounded his dwelling. When Magalhaes tried to telephone Antonio, nobody answered. He mentioned he later acquired the information that unidentified gunmen had shot Antonio thrice, “one [bullet] in his head, one within the chest, and one other within the again.”
A journalist who had interviewed Antonio on a number of events mentioned that the politician had fled his dwelling for a safer location after he began receiving dying threats for denouncing poll stuffing throughout the elections.
The journalist mentioned Antonio returned to his dwelling on January 15 as a result of he believed that it was protected to take action since Chapo had been sworn into workplace as president.
As of March 26, police had not made any public feedback about Antonio’s killing. One among his family members mentioned that the police had knowledgeable the household {that a} prison investigation had been opened and that they have been making an attempt to hint the gunmen, however no additional info was offered.
Daniel Guambe and Rafito Sitoe, in Inhambane Province
On March 8, at about 10 p.m., two gunmen stepped out of their automotive carrying Kalashnikov-style assault rifles and fired a minimum of seven bullets at an Isuzu car transporting two outstanding Podemos members, Daniel Guambe, 28, and Rafito Sitoe, 21, in Massinga village, Inhambane province, various sources reported. Members of the group tried to rescue the lads, however they died on their option to the hospital, Podemos confirmed in a statement. Days earlier than the deadly assault, Sitoe and Guambe had led the preparations for a surprise visit by Mondlane to Massinga on February 26, a celebration official informed Human Rights Watch. The police have but to publicly touch upon the killings.
Ivo Armando Nhantumbo and João de Deus Nhachengo, in Inhambane Province
On March 15, native residents discovered the our bodies of Ivo Armando Nhantumbo and João de Deus Nhachengo, two well-known Podemos members and Mondlane supporters, in Inhambane province, media reported. Plataforma Determine reported that the physique of Nhachengo had three bullet wounds to the chest, whereas Nhantumbo had one bullet wound to the pinnacle and his genitals had been lower off.
The Mozambican police have but to publicly touch upon the killings of Nhachengo and Nhantumbo. On March 21, the spokesman for the Common Command of the Mozambican Police, Orlando Mudumane, informed Human Rights Watch that “authorities are involved concerning the killings, and investigative items are on the terrain trying to find the perpetrators of the crimes.”
