Killings and kidnappings in Mozambique violate human rights – report

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Killings and kidnappings in Mozambique violate human rights – report

2:58 CAT | 30 May 2016

The wave of murders and kidnappings plaguing Mozambique constitute a violation of human rights, according to a report on Mozambique in the context of the African Union member states.

Entitled “Status Report of the African Union: Mozambique Report” and carried out by non-governmental organization Centre for Learning and Training of Civil Society (CESC), the evaluation, covering the period 2013 to 2015, states that human rights in the country have been negatively affected by killings and kidnappings.

“In addition, there was, for example, the persistent use of excessive force by police and detention beyond the legally defined durations. This contributed to the deterioration of people’s security,” the report adds.

The document also points out that the clashes between the Mozambican defence and security forces and armed Renamo men have resulted in deaths and destruction of property.

The report praises Mozambique for having approving its law on the right to information, but criticizes it for the lack of progress in implementing the measure.

“Private media faces problems of financial sustainability and a certain hostility on the part of state institutions, in general,” the text reads.

The document criticizes the high levels of violence against women, pointing to difficulties in access to justice as one of the reasons for the situation.

Citing data from the Mozambique Interior Ministry’s Office for Assistance to Women and Children Victims of Violence, the study reports 24,326 cases of violence against women in 2015, against 23,659 in 2014.

“Discriminatory practices prevail in the fields of education, political participation, marriage and access to justice, continuing to put women at a disadvantage in relation to their male counterparts,” the document says.

Speaking at the launch of the report, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Action Cidália Chauque expressed the government’s commitment to ensuring respect for human rights as a necessary condition for the improvement of living standards.

“I want to reaffirm the determination of the Mozambican government to implement the treaties, conventions and other legal instruments of the African Union that have an impact on the lives of Mozambicans”, Chauque stressed.

Source: Lusa