
Maputo, 22 Oct (AIM) – The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has called on the Mozambican authorities to carry out a deep investigation to explain the murder of prominent opposition lawyer Elvino Dias, on Friday night in central Maputo.
Dias was lawyer for independent presidential candidate, Venancio Mondlane, and for the main party that supported his presidential bid, Podemos. He was known to be working on the appeals against electoral fraud that Podemos intended to submit to the Constitutional Council, the country’s highest body in matters of constitutional and electoral law.
The lawyer was murdered alongside Podemos election agent, Paulo Guambe and a woman who was accompanying them, named as Audacia Macuacua.
According to Mahamat, political actors must maintain a “peaceful disposition” while the country awaits the proclamation of the results by the Constitutional Council.
“We call on the Mozambican security authorities to carry out the necessary investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice. We are monitoring the consequences of the holding of the general elections in Mozambique and we express deep concern about the reported cases of post-election violence and, in particular, the recent killings”, reads an African Union statement.
The chairperson also called for calm and maximum restraint, while urging all political parties and their supporters to allow due legal process “in the supreme interest of stability in Mozambique.”
Mozambique’s former President, Joaquim Chissano, also condemned the murders of Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe, claiming that “the crime is an ‘act of brutal violence that tarnishes the image of our country.”
“It’s an attack on human life, which is unacceptable and goes against the principles and values of dignity, respect and justice that we defend and that should underpin our society”, he said, in a statement made public by his foundation.
“We condemn in the strongest terms this and other heinous crimes that contribute towards creating a feeling of insecurity and undermining the will to work for the well-being of Mozambicans”, reads the note.
Chissano also encouraged the authorities to redouble their efforts to shed light on the crime as quickly as possible. “The perpetrators must be brought to justice and held accountable with severe and dissuasive measures that contribute to preventing future cases of violence, murder and kidnapping”, he stressed.
The first lady, Isaura Nyusi, also condemned the crime, saying that “these macabre acts are the destruction of love and fraternity, values and virtues that we must pass on to future generations.”
(AIM)
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