Mozambique: New director for asset recovery
Heavy sands mine in Moma, Nampula province. File poto: DW
Several people have been allegedly harassed and assaulted by security guard working for Kenmare, who have a heavy sands operation in Nampula province, according to the NGO Solidarity Mozambique (Solidariedade Moçambique). The multinational denies the allegations.
Solidarity Mozambique is concerned about the upsurge in human rights violations in Topuito in the newly-formed district of Larde, in Mozambique’s northern province of Nampula. According to the organisation, citizens in the region have been harassed and assaulted by Kenmare security guards, supposedly curbing the clandestine exploitation of minerals.
António Mutoa, Solidarity Mozambique executive director in northern Mozambique, says there have even been deaths among the population.
“We work with the government and companies to see to what extent human rights are being safeguarded in the exploitation of mineral resources,” Mutoa says.
“Unfortunately, two months ago, in Topuito we were surprised by the fatal shooting of two people from that community, and this made us very uncomfortable. In the communication with the company itself [to ascertain the causes], we learned that members of the Armed Forces were on patrol in the mining area.”
NGO outraged
The director questions why a private company is guarded by the country’s Defence Forces, in violation of international conventions, and says he has asked for the urgent intervention of the competent authorities to put an end to the violence.
“We spoke to the National Commission on Human Rights and the Fifth Parliamentary Commission of the Assembly of the Republic, because we are outraged. We had hoped that the exploitation of mineral resources would not be a curse, because, [for matters] to reach this point, it is difficult for us,” he complains.
Kenmare denies the allegations of harassment and beatings, but acknowledges a death in the area while maintaining that the company’s security personnel were not responsible.
Regina Macuácua is responsible for community matters at Kenmare, which has been operating in the district for about ten years.
“We did not beat anyone in the community, it’s a blatant lie. We had security incidents that were properly reported and involved the police and the communities themselves, but there was no beating. Unfortunately, we do not know where did Solidariedade get this information from,” she says.
But Macuácua acknowledges that “there was, unfortunately, an incident in which one person was shot by the military. This is a known issue. Another citizen died while fleeing – he was stealing fuel.”
Members of the military conducting patrols
But are, in fact, members of the military conducting patrols in Kenmare’s exploitation area? This is what DW Africa asked the head of social affairs at the multinational.
“We have our security guards, who are hired in the community itself and do not even have weapons. The military are there, but they do not garrison the company’s facilities: they are there on the basis of an agreement signed by the company [and the Ministry of National Defence] because of the problems of piracy that occurred, The Ministry of Defence therefore moved some of its personnel precisely to look after these issues,” Macuácua says.
Police spokesman Zacarias Nacute says that: “the police of the Republic of Mozambique in the province of Nampula have been aware of the occurrence of some cases of homicide in that region. However, it is premature to advance that these cases are perpetrated by the security of the Kenmare company. The police are already investigating the case; we have agents working on it and, as soon as we have any results, we will call the media for due clarification.”
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