Mozambique: Cabo Delgado on the agenda of the European Parliament today

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: Cabo Delgado on the agenda of the European Parliament today

1:21 CAT | 17 Sep 2020

File photo: SIC

The European Parliament is today holding a debate in Brussels on the humanitarian situation in northern Mozambique, particularly in the province of Cabo Delgado, and then adopting a resolution.

The debate, which will focus on the support that the European Union (EU) is to provide to the authorities and people of Mozambique, is taking place after several Portuguese members of the European Parliament [MEPs] warned about the deterioration of the humanitarian and security situation in the province of Cabo Delgado, leading the assembly to include the item on the agenda, in the context of debates on cases of violations of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

In addition to the effort of Portuguese MEPs to put the issue on the European agenda, Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, during a trip to Brussels last week, discussed the issue of Cabo Delgado with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell.

Speaking to journalists on September 8, Santos Silva declined to reveal details of the conversation with the head of European diplomacy, but added that they were “examining options” so that the EU’s unequivocal solidarity towards “the authorities and with the Mozambican people, so battered by the terrorist and ‘jihadist’ insurgency,” was demonstrated in increased actual support.

“Under current conditions, I must say no more. We will see. What I wanted to say is that the situation in northern Mozambique is obviously a concern for Portugal and deserves Portugal’s attention, but it also deserves the EU’s attention. And, given that Portugal is going to assume the presidency of the Council of the EU, nothing is expected other than even greater attention to this problem, among the many that the EU has to deal with,” Santos Silva said.

Cabo Delgado province has been the target of attacks by armed groups since October 2017, which have already killed at least 1,059 people in almost three years, in addition to the destruction of infrastructure.

According to the United Nations, armed violence has led to the flight of 250,000 people from districts affected by insecurity in the north of the province.

Various international entities have agreed to classify the attacks as a terrorist threat, and some of the actions have been claimed by the extremist Islamic State group.

In contrast, the non-governmental organisation Amnesty International (AI) accuses the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) of committing serious violations of human rights in the framework of the fight against the armed groups in Cabo Delgado, calling for an independent investigation into suspected torture and other serious abuses, including possible extrajudicial killings.

On Monday, the president of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) of Mozambique urged the Mozambican authorities to “open the door” to investigating the abuses allegedly committed by the FDS in the conflict in the north of the country.

Source: Lusa