Mozambique: Government in pursuit of ‘disinformation nucleus’

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Mozambique: Government in pursuit of ‘disinformation nucleus’

3:44 CAT | 16 Sep 2020

Screen grab: Euronews

The Mozambican interior minister said on Tuesday that the government suspects there is a nucleus which is producing disinformation designed to defame Mozambique’s Defence and Security Forces (FDS), in the aftermath of the dissemination on social networks of videos allegedly portraying instances of torture and brutality carried out by FDS members.

“We are in an investigative process to identify the nucleus where these videos are prepared,” Amade Miquidade said after yesterday’s Council of Ministers meeting.

In question are videos circulating on social networks showing men in uniforms used by Mozambican forces, supposedly in Cabo Delgado, in the north of the country, torturing, killing and committing other violent acts against civilians and combatants.

The background is the conflict between the FDS and insurgents, classified as terrorists, that has afflicted the province for the past three years.

“We want to clarify here that the terrorists wear uniforms identical to the ones used by the FDS,” the minister said, but that “what identifies them, among themselves, is that in their incursions they put out signals to identify each other”, but then remove them “in order to manufacture this propaganda against the Mozambican forces”.

“They make videos to promote an image of atrocities perpetrated by those who actually defend the people,” he stressed.

The videos of “atrocious, brutal actions against citizens” are “actions of subversion to set the people against the forces protecting them,” he emphasised.

Minister Miquidade said that “it is not the first time” that there is manipulation and misinformation leading “to condemnation” in Mozambique.

A video of unknown origin shot in an unidentified location, showing the point-blank shooting and murder of a naked and helpless woman on the side of the road by men in military uniforms carrying machine guns, started circulating on social media on Monday.

The video started circulating just days after Amnesty International asked the Mozambican authorities to investigate alleged abuses by its forces in Cabo Delgado, based on other videos showing torture and victims of summary executions.

In both cases, the Ministry of Defence, in a statement, condemned all human rights violations and pledged to investigate.

Regarding the latest video, Amade Miquidade said: “That is a macabre, inhumane act: the FDS would never do anything like that.”

Asked if the country should ask for international support in the Cabo Delgado conflict, the minister said that such a dialogue with partners was ongoing.

He also alluded to the recent creation of the Northern Integrated Development Agency (ADIN), which will mediates the delivery of support, and hinted that the country was being helped militarily.

“Mozambique does not produce weapons and ammunition, which means that there is support, because we do have the weapons and ammunition to defend ourselves,” he concluded.

Source: Lusa / Voa Portugues