Mozambique: Nyusi demands an independent and impartial Human Rights Commission – report

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Mozambique: Nyusi demands an independent and impartial Human Rights Commission – report

3:51 CAT | 27 Nov 2020

Photo: O País

President Filipe Nyusi said this Thursday that the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) should be independent and impartial in its activities, and never lose sight of the fact that the country is owned by Mozambicans, O País reports.

The head of state made his remarks on Thursday morning, when the Human Rights Commission went to the Presidency of the Republic to congratulate Filipe Nyusi on his work combating the new coronavirus pandemic, in the negotiations for the pacification of the country and for his re-election to the second mandate.

Regarding the Mozambican National Human Rights Commission’s own achievements, its chairman Luís Bitone highlighted the resettlement and compensation of the populations affected by the mining mega-projects.

“We worked with the [Montepuez] Ruby Mining and followed up over 400 cases. Right now, we are reconciled from the point of view of damages and compensations” to people who need resettlement. “We are also in Moma because of Kenmare and we have built work platforms to solve people’s problems,” Bitone added.

The CNDH – which is dedicated to the promotion, protection and monitoring of human rights in the country, as well as consolidating a culture of peace – however had some complaints about obstacles to its work, including outdated legislation.

“Our mandate allows us to call” to account “any entity that is suspected of violating human rights, but there are certain entities” that cannot be targeted, “given the status of [CNDH] commissioners”, as they are “below these entities”, Bitone explained, adding that “a commissioner”, in these conditions, “will hardly call a minister to question him”.

Other challenges, according to Bitone, are poor visibility, and lack of human, technical and financial resources, given the CNDH’s annual budget of less than 17 million meticais per year [about US$229,000].

Filipe Nyusi heard the concerns, but recommended that the CNDH impose itself in order to have the visibility it seeks.

The head of state wants conscientious work from this body, along with responsibility and impartiality. “Work in a comparative sense, universally, as things work,” the president advised. “But also see with some detachment” the work underway, “in the sense of humility, and so that you can get to work well,” he counselled.

According to President Nyusi, the CNDH needs to be independent of the government, as also of civil society bodies and external partners, so as to avoid negative interference in its work, given that those who help often want something in return. “And these people can use human rights to achieve their goals,” the president warned.

“If you feel influenced for any reason, because of incentives, you will not work … Therefore, it is necessary to work with awareness and always keep in mind that the country has an owner and this is the Mozambican people”, recommended Filipe Nyusi.

On the occasion, Nyusi asked human rights commissioners to treat everyone equally and recalled that violence is not the only form of human rights violation, with hunger, thirst and a lack of employment being some manifestations of the problem.

Source: O País