Mozambique: Government calls for calm, pledges swift clarification of double homicide – Watch

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Mozambique: Government calls for calm, pledges swift clarification of double homicide – Watch

11:52 CAT | 19 Oct 2024

Photo: Luisa Nhantumbo/Lusa

The Mozambican government condemned this Saturday the murders of Elvino Dias, lawyer for presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, and Paulo Guambe, party agent [mandatário] of the Podemos, and called for calm, ensuring that the authorities are working to clarify the case quickly.

“The Government of Mozambique condemns and regrets what happened (…) The Government asks for the collaboration of all those who have relevant information and appeals for calm and serenity, avoiding misinformation”, declared Pascoal Ronda, Minister of the Interior, in a statement to the press at the Ministry of the Interior, in Maputo.

Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe were shot dead at around 11:20 pm on Friday, on Avenida Joaquim Chissano, in the city centre, and, according to the police, another occupant, a woman who was travelling in the back seat of the vehicle, was also shot and taken to Maputo Central Hospital seriously injured.

According to the Interior Minister, the crimes took place at a “political moment” and are therefore “susceptible to various interpretations”, given that the two victims were members of a political party.

“The Government urges the relevant institutions, particularly the National Criminal Investigation Service and the Police of the Republic of Mozambique, to swiftly clarify the cases and bring the perpetrators to justice”, added Pascoal Ronda.

The Mozambican police spokesman admitted today that the vehicle in which Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe were travelling was “ambushed”.

The victims had been socialising in a Maputo market, there having “allegedly” occurred a “discussion over marital matters”, from which market they were “later followed”, Leonel Muchina said.

Lawyer Elvino Dias, a well-known defender of human rights cases in Mozambique, was the legal advisor to Venâncio Mondlane and the Democratic Alliance Coalition (CAD), a political group that initially supported the candidate for President of the Republic of Mozambique, until its registration for the elections was rejected by the National Electoral Commission (CNE).

Venâncio Mondlane would later be supported in his candidacy by the Optimistic People for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos) party, whose national representative for the legislative and provincial lists, Paulo Guambe, was also travelling in the vehicle targeted in the crime.

Mondlane, who was at the crime scene today, called for peaceful marches in Mozambique on Monday, condemning the murders, saying, quoting the Bible, that the “blood” of the victims “must be avenged”, and blaming the Defence and Security Forces (FDS).

“Just as the word of God said that the blood of Abel had to be avenged, this blood must be avenged, and it is on your backs [FDS]. Know that you have the blood of these young people on your backs, but the blood of these young people is the beginning of a stage that only God knows how it will end”, he said, during the vigil attended by dozens of people.

The October 9 elections included the seventh presidential elections – in which the current head of state, Filipe Nyusi, who has reached the limit of two terms in office, no longer runs – simultaneously with the seventh legislative elections and the fourth for assemblies and provincial governors.

The CNE has 15 days after the polls close to announce the official election results, which is set for October 24. The Constitutional Council will then be responsible for announcing the results, after it has also concluded its analysis of any appeals, but there is no set deadline for this purpose.

The district and provincial election commissions have already completed the vote count, which according to public announcements gives an advantage to the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the ruling party) and the presidential candidate supported by the party, Daniel Chapo, but Venâncio Mondlane contests these results.

The Portuguese government, the European Union and the diplomatic representations in Maputo of the United States of America, Canada, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom have condemned these murders, calling for a thorough and swift investigation.

Source: Lusa