Police try to prevent MDM motorcade to US embassy

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Police try to prevent MDM motorcade to US embassy

1:55 CAT | 13 Jan 2019

Photo: O País

The Mozambican police on Thursday attempted to prevent the country’s third largest political party, the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), from holding a motorcade through the streets of Maputo, intended to thank the United States authorities for issuing the international arrest warrant which has led to the detention of former Finance Minister Manuel Chang on charges related to the scandal of Mozambique’s “hidden debts”.

The MDM intended to hand a letter of thanks into the US embassy. The motorcade was peaceful, with MDM supporters brandishing placards calling for the arrest of former president Armando Guebuza.

The cars set off from the MDM Maputo City delegation, driving in the direction of the embassy. But the police intercepted them, claiming they had no authorisation for the motorcade. The MDM retorted that no such authorisation was needed, since this was not the kind of traditional demonstration for which a notification should be given to the municipal council.

This confrontation was filmed by the independent television station STV, and the footage occupied a prominent position on the STV evening news. The heavy handed police intervention thus ended up given the MDM motorcade much more publicity than would otherwise have been the case.

The police eventually banned the motorcade altogether and ordered the cars to disperse, and go to other destinations, but not the embassy. The MDM appeared to obey – but in reality, the cars followed various different routes, all of which converged on the embassy.

The police followed some of them, but were unable to prevent the MDM from delivering its letter at the embassy. When police reinforcements, armed with tear gas, arrived, the MDM group dispersed.

MDM spokesperson Augusto Pelembe said the MDM had achieved its mission in delivering the letter, and did not feel intimidated by the police.

“Our gesture represents all Mozambicans”, he said, “including members of the police, who are one of the classes most shaken by the policies of the government of the day”.

He believed that the international arrest warrant from the US authorities was “the greatest Christmas present for Mozambicans”, since it had allowed the detention in South Africa of the former finance minister, regarded as one of the key players in the “hidden debts”.

Source: AIM