End smear campaign against Bishop Lisboa
The situation is very concerning in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. Since October 2017, the northern districts of the province have experienced armed attacks. The attacks are carried out by people believed to be members of an extremist group, locally known as “Al-Shabaab”, who invade villages, destroy infrastructures, set houses on fire, hack villagers to death with machetes and loot their food. This province is important to the central government due to its richness in mineral resources, including gas and ruby. After the attacks began, the government increased the military presence in the region. Since then, the authorities have intimidated, harassed and prevented journalists, researchers and dissident voices from reporting on the situation.
An unknown number of community members have been abducted and forcibly disappeared. Some of them have been found dead after government security forces abducted them. The security forces have also launched an attack on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom. Journalists and researchers who work to expose the violence and abuses are harassed, intimidated, arrested, detained and tortured. On 23 January 2019, a South African businessman Andre Hanekom died in mysterious circumstances under police custody after being shot in the arm and stomach. He had been abducted by four masked men armed with AK’47 rifles in Palma district, in the Cabo Delgado province, on 1 August 2018. A series of events between security forces, justice and health services culminated in his death. During this military detention, Andre Hanekom was allegedly subjected to torture and other ill-treatment to confess to his alleged involvement with the insurgents. The Mozambican authorities have not conducted any investigations into the torture allegations and his death.
On the evening of 11 March 2020, the security forces arrested Roberto Mussa Ambasse and Muemede Suleimane Jumbe, two local activists and community leaders, from their home in Palma district, northern Cabo Delgado. On 23 April, Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO), Mozambique’s main opposition party, accused the Mozambique Armed Defense Forces (FADM) of murdering Roberto Mussa and Muemede Suleimane and 12 other civilians.
On 7 April 2020, Ibraimo Abú Mbaruco, a young journalist with Palma Community Radio broadcaster was reported missing. He forcibly disappeared shortly after leaving work around 6pm. He sent a text message to his colleague that he was “surrounded by soldiers”. Ibraimo Abú Mbaruco has not been seen or heard from since. His disappearance mirrors the case of journalist Amade Abubacar, who was in January 2019 arrested by soldiers and arbitrarily held in incommunicado detention for three months. On 17 December 2018, Estacio Valoi, an investigative journalist, David Matsinhe, a researcher for Amnesty International, and their driver were arbitrarily arrested by military forces while conducting research on communities attacked by members of the extremist group.
In Mozambique, similar smear campaign in the past had led to the murder of human rights defenders, journalists, government critics and professors in Mozambique. All those crimes remain in impunity. The most recent case is the extrajudicial execution of Anastácio Matavel, a human rights defender and lead of Gaza province civil society election observation group, by five state agents in Xai-Xai, Gaza province. On 2 March 2015, Professor Gilles Cistac was shot dead by unknown men. Prior to his murder, Gilles Cistac had made statements supporting greater autonomy for the provinces in Mozambique. Five years later, there has been no progress in the investigation of this crime.
Gustavo Mavie, who was recently nominated by the President to compose Mozambique’s Central Ethics Committee, was among those smearing Bishop Lisboa’s name. On 16 August, he singled out the Bishop as being one of those who unfairly criticizes the Nyusi Government and the security forces.
According to the NGO, Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, the armed conflict in Cabo Delgado have, up to 1 August 2020, claimed a total of 967 civilians’ lives and displaced over 250,000 people.