Mozambique: MISA warns against arbitrary actions

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Mozambique: MISA warns against arbitrary actions

9:59 CAT | 04 May 2020

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: AFP]

The Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom body MISA (Media Institute of Southern Africa) has warned of “arbitrary actions against citizens in the name of preventing Covid-19”.

In a statement issued on Sunday to mark World Press Freedom Day, MISA condemns “an excessively violent action by the Defence and Security Forces, as well as the violation of citizens’ privacy, under the pretext of compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures”.

MISA argued the government should regard the mass media as “important partners” in the state of emergency decreed to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, and should respect media independence.

“The violation of fundamental freedoms cannot be seen as the appropriate mechanism for combating fake news and misinformation, which are the concern of all”, the statement said.

MISA expressed its concern at attacks against journalists, particularly in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, pointing to the arrests last year of the community radio journalists Amade Abubacar and Adriano Germano, who have been accused of supporting the islamist insurgents in that province.

“Contrary to what could be expected from a democratic state ruled by law, such as Mozambique, there has been an effort by the authorities dealing with this case to blame the accused at all costs”, said MISA. This violated the presumption of innocence enshrined in the Mozambican constitution.

Perhaps even more serous was the abduction on 7 April of Ibraimo Mbaruco, a journalist on the community radio station in the Cabo Delgado district of Palma. Immediately before his kidnapping he sent a mobile phone text message to one of his colleagues, saying that he was “surrounded by soldiers”.

Nothing further has been heard from Mbaruco, and it is feared that he was abducted by the defence and security forces. MISA urges the authorities “to work to restore the journalist’s freedom and hold the kidnappers accountable”.

A further Cabo Delgado incident was the detention in the provincial capital, Pemba, for several hours on 14 April of Izdne Acha, a journalist on the independent television station STV. He was only released after the defence forces had erased the images on his mobile phone. As far as is known, no action has been taken against those who illegally seized Acha.

Turning to the notorious assassination on 7 October last year of prominent civil society and election observation activist Anastacio Matavel, in the southern city of Xai-Xai, MISA notes that the murder was the work of five members of the police force, three of whom were promoted despite the killing.

Although the promotions were later cancelled, MISA warns that this incident “may convey the idea that the State collaborates in these attacks”.

Source: AIM