Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Mozambican police on Friday detained several soldiers of the armed forces (FADM) in the northern city of Pemba who were drinking alcohol while on duty, wearing uniforms and carrying firearms, according to a report carried by the independent television station STV,
The soldiers were caught drinking in a crowd, in violation of the rules imposed by the government to restrict the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the spokesperson of the Cabo Delgado provincial police command, Ernesto Madungue, the soldiers constituted the majority of the 28 people detained on Friday night, as the police enforced the Covid-19 rules, including the obligatory wearing of masks in public places, the ban on drinking alcohol in the streets, and the curfew which runs from 21.00 to 06.00
“Unfortunately, some members of the defence and security forces were detained when they were found acting outside of the norms”, said Madungue. Most of them were armed with pistols, he said, and the police have seized five of the firearms.
“We would like to urge all citizens, and particularly members of the defence forces, to set an example and to educate others to follow the norms”, he added, “because we start from the principle that members of the armed forces know and understand the law”.
Madungue regarded violation of the curfew by soldiers as a serious matter, and hoped that the military command will take exemplary measures against the offenders.
