Human rights in Mozambique
Following Mozambique’s independence from Portugal came 17 years of civil war, between RENAMO and FRELIMO, until 1992, when peace was finally reached.
[2] This sparked a series of human rights incidents including unlawful killing, arbitrary arrests, inhumane prison conditions, and unfair trials.
[1] Mozambique was successful in the war, however, under the reign of the Portuguese, the country was educated and had abundant resources such as professionals and tradesmen.
The war was between the countries two key political parties, Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) and Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO).
[1][2] The war caused the deaths of over 1 million Mozambicans due to either combat or starvation, as food supplies were interrupted.
[1] The Civil War destroyed most of the country's critical rural infrastructure, such as schools, roads, rail lines, and hospitals.
The assembly of RENAMO perpetrated the Civil War, and the party was supported heavily by South African anti-Communist governments.
[3][4] The public resented RENAMO for the brutal crimes they committed, they named them “Armed Bandit’s”, and promoted their hate for the party by encouraging beatings against them.
[5] Mozambique has had numerous reports that included descriptions of the government and Mozambican police committing unlawful and arbitrary killings.
An unknown citizen stated that the police were heavily armed and arbitrarily firing live bullets at anyone they thought were involved, causing the death of innocent bystanders.
[6] Overcrowding has been identified as the main issue, resulting in further problems of insufficient hygiene, medical care, and food.
It also means that prisoners cannot be separated appropriately, and often juvenile convicts are forced to live in adult facilities, there is little differentiation regarding the level of crime committed by the inmates, and those with contagious illnesses are unable to be isolated.
[2] In November 2020, armed groups in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province beheaded dozens of people in the escalated violence.
United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres urged the Mozambican authorities to investigate the escalating violence in the province that was long being ignored by the international community.
During Armando Guebuza’s reign as president, RENAMO became accusatory of the government, influencing violence between the ruling and opposition parties.
[6] In 1991 Mozambique introduced the Press Law Archived 2019-06-02 at the Wayback Machine, which classified any slander, criticism or offence about the president or government as illegal.
Armando Nenane also received anonymous death threats for his ostracised views, and nobody was convicted or held responsible for the attack on him.
However, in 2014, a draft law was considered by Mozambique’s National Assembly that would allow rapists to marry their victims in order to avoid detention.
In both these cases and many more, the perpetrators admitted their crime, however, the authorities failed to develop, resource and implement an effective strategy to combat violence against women.
[2][6] On 15 September 2020, Amnesty International called for an immediate and impartial investigation into the extrajudicial execution of an unarmed and naked woman by some men wearing army uniforms.
