Mozambique: Ombudsman warns of ‘deplorable situation’ of displaced people

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Mozambique: Ombudsman warns of ‘deplorable situation’ of displaced people

3:54 CAT | 28 Aug 2020

File photo: Lusa

Mozambique’s Justice ombudsman on Friday warned of what he described as a “deplorable situation” in reception centres for people displaced by armed violence in Cabo Delgado, in the north of the country, saying that it is paramount to join forces to stop “terrorist aggression” in the province.

“People are no longer in their homes, they have abandoned their machambas and their assets and are living in deplorable conditions in reception centres,” ombudsman Isaque Chande told journalists in Maputo on the sidelines of the launch of his office’s 2020-2024 strategic plan.

While admitting that the conflict complicates the mission of ensuring the fundamental rights of people in the region, Chande called for everyone to work together to stop the “terrorist aggression” the country is facing, stressing that the violence is having a “great impact” on the lives of people in the regions affected.

“The effort that the country must make is, naturally, to find ways to contain the aggression against the state, and there, we must all be involved,” he said. “This is not a matter of political party affiliation, but of national interest.”

The chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, Luis Bitone, also recently warned of the conditions in which the displaced in Cabo Delgado are living, highlighting food shortages in the province’s reception centres.

“We were there [in Cabo Delgado], and we too noticed that the situation is not good,” Bitone said. “We are very concerned about the displaced people. We face a lack of basics, including food and tents.”

According to the United Nations, the armed violence in Cabo Delgado, which both Mozambique and international authorities now classify as a terrorist threat, has led to more than 250,000 people fleeing districts under threat in the north of the province.

Most have ended up in the provincial capital, Pemba, but some have fled to other districts and provinces in the region, particularly Nampula.

Since the attacks started in October 2017, in addition to the destruction of much infrastructure, at least 1,059 people have lost their lives in the violence.

Source: Lusa