Terrorism “continues to cast shadows”

Maputo. 22 Oct (AIM) – The chairperson of the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, Margarida Talapa, declared on Wednesday that terrorism “is continuing to cast shadows over our future”.

At the formal opening of the end-of-year sitting of the Assembly, Talapa described the Islamist terrorists operating in the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula as “enemies of our country’s development”, and strongly condemned their “barbaric acts, including the recruitment of child soldiers, which is a serious violation of human rights”.

Talapa praised the courage of the Mozambican defence and security forces, and their Rwandan and Tanzanian allies. The Mozambican parliament “is and will always be on the side of the defence of national sovereignty, peace and stability”, she declared.

Crime, and particularly corruption, posed other threats to Mozambique. Corruption, she said, “has not only eaten into public resources, but has corroded citizens’ trust in State institutions”.

“Facing this reality with courage and transparency is not only a moral duty but also a patriotic and constitutional demand”, Talapa stressed.

“The fight against corruption”, she added, “will only be effective if it is participatory and inclusive”. She wanted to see the results from last week’s conference on the fight against corruption “translated into practical, measurable and sustainable commitments”.

She pledged that the Assembly will inspect the actions of the government with greater rigour “and guarantee that public resources are used transparently and to the benefit of the people”.

Talapa declared her support for the “inclusive national dialogue” launched in March by President Daniel Chapo, and was optimistic that the results “will promise a more democratic Mozambique, with the formulation of fairer and more equitable public policies, aligned with the longings of our people”.
(AIM)
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