Goods trains robbed in Niassa three times this year – Mozambique

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Goods trains robbed in Niassa three times this year – Mozambique

8:14 CAT | 14 Nov 2016

Rádio Moçambique (File photo)

Thieves have attacked on three occasions goods trains carrying merchandise from the northern Mozambican port of Nacala to neighbouring countries, according to a Saturday report on Radio Mozambique.

The robberies have all taken place in the Entre-Lagos locality in Niassa province, near the border with Malawi. The main targets for the thieves are rice, wheat and other foodstuffs, the Niassa Provincial Director of Transport, Antonio Mateus, told the radio.

Mateus said the latest attack took place this month, and resulted in one death among the thieves, when the police opened fire to defend the merchandise.

The situation is worrying not only the provincial authorities but also the central government, he added, because it could damage relations between Mozambique and its neighbours. Both Malawi and Zambia import goods using the Nacala railway line.

“To some extent this damages the image of Mozambique”, said Mateus, “since we feed the countries of the hinterland who use our ports and our railways”.

The governor of Niassa, Arlindo Chilundo, strongly attacked the thefts at a rally he addressed in Entre-Lagos on Saturday.

“Stolen things don’t last”, he said. “We become addicted, and when it’s finished, we try to steal again. This is no good. Only with work, with what we earn from work that dignifies us and which we value, will we grow more quickly.

Source: AIM