Mozambique: Authorities authorize evening prayers during Ramadan in Macomia district
File photo: OAM
Mozambique’s government has failed to protect human rights in Cabo Delgado province from the armed attacks that are taking place in this part of the country, a report by the Mozambique Bar Association (OAM), published on Tuesday said.
The report, which covers the human rights situation in the period 2018/2019, said that the Mozambican authorities have been unable to protect the right to life, physical integrity and property of populations affected by armed violence in that northern province.
The document said that the situation in Cabo Delgado demonstrates that “the Mozambican state does not have a strategy to prevent and combat terrorism”.
On the other hand, it continues, “the government has wasted opportunities for international cooperation in preventing and combating terrorism through the country’s adherence to international conventions”.
The survey also criticised the state’s lethargy in protecting women and children’s rights, pointing to the prevalence of a high level of domestic violence that mainly affects women and children.
“On the ground, the situation of women remains fragile, and they are exposed to various situations of vulnerability”, the study pointed out.
Concerning girls, premature unions, child motherhood, and sexual harassment persist, and there are still high child poverty rates.
On the right to information, the report said that international indicators are negative concerning Mozambique, attributing this poor performance to arbitrary arrests and intimidation of journalists.
The MCO criticised the courts for failing to effectively guarantee the right to information, directly attacking the Administrative Court for failing in its competence to compel the government to disclose information of public interest.
The report added that the legal framework on protecting the rights of communities living in areas of extraction of natural resources is insufficient.
The armed violence in Cabo Delgado province, northern Mozambique, where the largest private multinational investment in Africa is taking place, for the exploitation of natural gas, is causing a humanitarian crisis with more than 2,000 deaths and 560,000 displaced people, without housing or food, which has led the Mozambican authorities to ask the EU for help.
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