Mozambique: Whereabouts of kidnapped businessman remain unknown
Photo: O País
The photos had been circulating on social media, reads a report brought by ‘O País’, Yesterday, according to the same source, “the information has been confirmed by the commander-general of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM), Bernardino Rafael, who assured [the public] that work is under way to ascertain the circumstances under which such equipment fell into the hands of evildoers”.
Since 2017, alleged insurgents have been terrorising districts of Cabo Delgado province, killing and maiming residents and looting and burning people’s homes. Residents have been seeking refuge in safer areas in nearby provinces.
A climate of insecurity persists in villages in the Mocímboa da Praia, Nangade and Macomia districts, leading the government to intensify military actions in the regions affected, and the Ministry of National Defence has recently been publicising the successes of the Defence and Security Forces (FDS) in the area.
Since last week, however, images of alleged insurgents dressed in army uniforms and in possession of a “Mahindra” vehicle in PRM colours have been circulating on social media platforms.
On Wednesday, the general commander of the police, Bernardino Rafael, confirmed that there a police vehicle and some uniforms have fallen into the hands of the alleged insurgents.
Rafael began by explaining that the police are in an “operational theatre where there are actions that may tend to challenge public order. It is a vehicle in unexpected circumstances, and we are not sure if [those appearing in the images] are wrongdoers. The car is ours. We confirm that, and also that it was set on fire under circumstances which we are investigating.”
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The police general commander was speaking to the press on Wednesday after opening the new 24th police station in the Zimpeto neighbourhood on the outskirts of Maputo city. Bernardino Rafael told reporters that the most important thing at the moment is the success that the FDS are achieving on the “battlefield”.
“But what we have to acknowledge is that, in an operational theatre, both the FDS as well as the evildoers can be ambushed. So we do not deny that it is our vehicle that has been ambushed, but the FDS are working on the ground, and this is the result of such a theatre of war,” Rafael said.
Cabo Delgado province, in the far north of the country, is the epicentre of hydrocarbon exploration by multinational “giants”.
By Amândio Borges
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