Maputo, 20 Jun (AIM) – The Mozambican ombudsman, Isaque Chande, believes that islamist terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado is a challenge to citizens’ fundamental rights.
According to the ombudsman, speaking during a working visit to Cabo Delgado, there is a need to draw up strategies aimed at solving conflicts involving citizens and public institutions in that province, especially in those areas affected by terrorism.
Therefore, he said, the local government must continue to maintain contact with citizens, “as this would enable them to collect complaints and propose solutions.”
“There can be no other way to serve the citizens than to listen to their concerns and provide solutions within a reasonable time frame”, he said.
During his visit to Palma district, Chande visited the offices of the Legal Aid Institute (IPAJ), and of the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC).
He noted that the district lacks a judge and, as a result, “cases are often sent from Palma to Mueda, which is almost two hundred kilometers away.”
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), last May Islamist terrorism affected over 134,000 people in Cabo Delgado.
(AIM)
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