Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Mozambican Attorney-General’s Office (PGR) on Tuesday questioned once again the former interior minister, Pascoal Ronda, and the former general commander of the Police (PRM), Bernardino Rafael, as part of a criminal complaint presented by civil society organizations regarding the police violence against protestors during the post-election demonstrations of 2024-2025.
Mass demonstrations, called by the former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane to protest against the fraudulent results of the general elections held in October 2024, started peacefully but then degenerated into rioting and destruction.
On Tuesday, both Rafael and Ronda avoided the media, entering and leaving the PGR headquarters through the back door, and saying not a word to the waiting journalists.
According to Wilker Dias, chairperson of the NGO “Decide” Electoral Platform, speaking to reporters, since November 2024, there have been significant advances in terms of hearings against those who ordered the violation of human rights during the unrest.
“We are sure that by the end of this year we will have clarity regarding the process. In addition to these targeted figures, various individuals are also being called to testify. Several victims of police violence have already been heard and we are continuing to collect statements at both central and provincial levels”, he said.
According to the statistics collated by “Decide”, the police shot dead about 400 people while 619 others were injured by gunshots during the five months of unrest that began on 21 October 2024.
The PGR says it has opened 31 legal proceedings against police officers in the context of the post-election unrest.
Dias believes that it is necessary to complete the preliminary investigation before moving forward with detentions, but “we hope that the case will be solved this year so that those who are responsible for violating human rights can be held criminally accountable”.
Source: AIM
