Mozambique: New director for asset recovery
Image: VOA Portugues
Two years ago this Thursday (April 7), Mozambican journalist Ibraimo Mbaruco went missing in Cabo Delgado.
Mbaruco was kidnapped while on his way home from work at Rádio Comunitário de Palma at around 7:00 p.m. on April 7, 2020. The journalist managed to tell colleagues via text message that he was “surrounded by soldiers”, but since then, the authorities have said nothing about his whereabouts.
In an interview with DW Africa, Fernando Gonçalves, president of MISA-Mozambique, an association for the defence of press freedom, stresses that they have still not had any information about the journalist’s whereabouts, and questions the authorities’ performance in the investigations.
DW Africa: What is known so far about the disappearance of Ibraimo Mbaruco and about the investigations?
Fernando Gonçalves (FG): Very little is known about what happened, let alone about the investigations. Despite all the initiatives that we took to contact the government authorities, the criminal investigation authorities, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, we have not obtained any information so far.
DW Africa: In your opinion, what explains this silence and this inertia?
FG: We can protest, we can do all that, but at the end of the day, it’s the authorities who have to carry out these investigations and we don’t understand what the reason for this inaction is.
DW Africa: Specifically about Cabo Delgado, MISA also spoke of a radicalisation of the political discourse against the press reporting on terrorism in Cabo Delgado. What is the current situation in this regard? Do you maintain that this radicalisation of discourse remains?
FG: There is an understanding that military issues, in a situation of military conflict, should be reserved for the police forces, for the Armed Forces. There is this understanding on the part of the military leaders and also on the part of the rulers. Journalists, on the one hand, have a duty and an obligation to inform the people about what is happening in society, including situations of conflict. But there are powerful forces at the government level, at the level of the defence and security forces, who feel that these issues must be dealt with, solely and exclusively, by them and that journalists must not meddle in these issues. This is wrong, and we will continue to fight against this narrative prevailing.
DW Africa: MISA also speaks of an influence of the ruling party, Frelimo, in the political and economic control of the media in Cabo Delgado. How do you see this issue today? Does this influence persist?
FG: The influence of the ruling party continues. In Mozambique, the concept of separation of powers exists only on a theoretical level. In fact, the ruling party has tentacles that extend into all sectors of public life, including the defence and security forces. There is often a mixing between ideological issues, political issues and public administration issues. I think the situation derives from this confusion, but also the question that the ruling party does not want to lose power and, therefore, any force that questions its options, its policies, is seen as an enemy, and often as an enemy to take down.
DW Africa: MISA-Mozambique says that there were 32 cases of violations of freedom of expression in the country in 2020, the highest number in the last five years. What is the current situation? Has there been progress?
FG: Since there are SADC [Southern African Development Community] forces operating in Cabo Delgado province, the incidence of this type of incident has been greatly reduced. To some extent also because the involvement of foreign forces in Mozambique – including the support that Mozambique is receiving from the European Union and the United States – has also focused on the issue of human rights. There have even been training programs for the Mozambican Armed Forces on how to deal with human rights issues in conflict situations. We believe that this reduction and this apparent stability can be the result of these efforts.
“Surrounded by soldiers…”
These are the last words heard from Mozambican journalist Ibraimo Abú Mbaruco before he went missing in Cabo Delgado, two years ago today.
We continue to ask: #WhereIsIbraimo?
#IbraimoMbarucohttps://t.co/gHY1Ow9ize pic.twitter.com/JlASAIHczL
— Committee to Protect Journalists (@pressfreedom) April 7, 2022
Yesterday – 7 April – was 2 years since Ibraimo Mbaruco went missing in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, @pressfreedom reminds us: https://t.co/rOSbJZZpGX @angelaquintal @MISARegional @freepress @kubatana
— IFEX (@IFEX) April 8, 2022
Source: Deutsche Welle
#Mozambique: It has been a year since journalist Ibraimo Mbaruco was disappeared. His last known words : ‘I am surrounded by soldiers’. We continue to ask #WhereIsIbraimo? His family deserves to know. #PressFreedom https://t.co/j8c2fA3hde
— SouthernAfricaAIUSA (@SoAfricaAIUSA) April 7, 2021
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