Mozambique: Authorities are unaware of the whereabouts of alleged journalists

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Mozambique: Authorities are unaware of the whereabouts of alleged journalists

12:21 CAT | 19 Dec 2018

Palma's District Government

Mozambican police have no record of the detention of any Mozambican and foreign journalist in Cabo Delgado, as reported by MISA-Mozambique.

The Mozambican army may have detained Mozambican photojournalist Estácio Valói and three foreign journalists, according to MISA, the Southern African Social Communication Institute, quoted by the Lusa news agency.

The four people would have been arrested on the way to the district of Palma, province of Cabo Delgado, during the exile of their functions.

But the Police of the Republic of Mozambique, PRM, does not confirm any detention.

Augusto José Guta is a police spokesman in the province and contacted by DW Africa on Tuesday afternoon, said “I do not confirm, because when it came to information from MISA-Mozambique, that one of them had been detained at Mocímboa da Praia and there are no indications of the imprisonment of Estácio Valói there.At this moment we are working to know where he was detained. “

Police are unaware of the matter for now

Regarding the three alleged foreign journalists who would be in the company of the Mozambican photojournalist, Guta also says he has no knowledge:

“The information we had from MISA-Mozambique is that Estacio Valói was arrested, we were not told about other foreign journalists.”

Since the Police do not have the detention of alleged foreign journalists, DW Africa has contacted GABINFO, the Information Office, which oversees the media in Mozambique.

GABINFO has not passed accreditation

It’s official, Emília Moiane, said that there was no accreditation of foreign journalists to cover the region in question. And the director of GABINFO explains the procedures that must be respected by journalists:

“Every journalist, as happens in every part of the world, when he / she enters a country there are clear mechanisms of contact with the country through a body that represents the media. To come to Mozambique all journalists know that it is necessary to have a credential from GABINFO.

“However, there is also information (not officially confirmed) that they are not foreign journalists, but rather researchers from Amnesty International, an international human rights NGO. DW Africa has not yet been able to obtain confirmation from Amnesty International.

And who has doubts about the profession of supposed foreigners is the director of GABINFO:

“I also do not know if they are journalists, I do not have any information. I think if they were journalists they would have presented themselves, at least in terms of request to the Information Office.”

North of Mozambique with frequent attacks

It should be recalled that Palma and other neighboring districts have been the scene of frequent armed attacks by unknown men for more than a year and two months. These are regions rich in natural resources, especially natural gas, and where large multinationals operate. The interest of the international media in covering the events of the region increases every day. Is it common for foreign journalists to cover the country without being duly accredited? question asked the head of GABINFO:

“We may have one case or another of journalists who may enter [the country], but we have not come to the common advice. We have already had situations [these are true, but in this case I do not even know if they are journalists or not. the people who made the initial announcement talked about activists, but there are cases, but they can not be considered common. “

Source: DW