Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambique’s prime minister said on Thursday that nine of the 10 cases of kidnapping recorded since January have been cleared up and the victims rescued, pointing to “relative improvements” in security, despite “remnants of violence”.
“Thanks to the diligence and coordinated actions between the different institutions that ensure public order, security and tranquillity, as well as the collaboration of the communities, of the 10 cases of kidnapping recorded this year, nine have been cleared up, and the victims returned to their families,” said Benvinda Levi, while briefing MPs in parliament in Maputo.
She said that the police continue to work to combat and clarify all cases of kidnapping in Mozambique, in coordination and cooperation with Mozambican and foreign institutions.
“The police authorities continue to work (…) [to] apprehend the perpetrators of this type of crime, so that they are brought to justice,” declared the prime minister.
On Wednesday, the president of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, said that the number of kidnappings in the country has decreased. However, he still promised to work to ensure that the country achieves “zero kidnappings”, in the face of an “evil” that, according to the head of state, slows down the development of the economy and reduces national and foreign investment.
Around 150 businesspeople have been kidnapped in Mozambique in the last 12 years, and a hundred have left the country out of fear, according to figures released in 2024 by the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA).
In parliament, Benvinda Levi also said that between January and October this year, Mozambique also registered a total of 8,446 criminal cases, compared to 9,029 in the same period in 2024, and that 826 criminal groups were neutralised, compared to 679 last year.
“These gangs were involved in committing various crimes, particularly robberies using firearms and bladed weapons, homicides, drug trafficking, counterfeiting currency, among others,” she said.
Among the crimes recorded this year is the murder of seven officers from the Republic of Mozambique Police (PRM) and one from the National Criminal Investigation Service, said Levi, adding that the situation of attacks and attempts to intimidate officers deserves everyone’s attention.
For the “heinous and reprehensible acts”, the prime minister said that criminal proceedings had been launched to clarify them and capture those involved.
“In terms of maintaining public order, tranquillity and security, our country has seen relative improvements, despite some remnants of violence that occur all over the country,” concluded Benvinda Levi.
On 5 November, the Mozambican ombudsman called for collective indignation at the wave of police killings in the country, appealing for the collaboration of communities to stop these crimes and ensure peace and social security.
The latest case of police killings, of which there have been at least six on the outskirts of Maputo alone since June, involved a PRM commander who was shot dead in the early evening of 23 October.
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