Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Attorney General of Mozambique (PGR) said on Wednesday that an investigation has been opened into the disappearance, on January 7 of this year, of activist Arlindo Chissale, a journalist and Podemos militant in Cabo Delgado.
“Following information from the media, reporting the disappearance of Arlindo Chissale during a trip from the city of Pemba to the district of Nacala-Porto [Nampula],” a case was opened at the Provincial Public Prosecutor’s Office in Cabo Delgado, Américo Letela reported during the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s 2024 annual report to parliament.
The case concerns the disappearance of Chissale who, in addition to his civic and political activity in the party that supported Venâncio Mondlane’s presidential candidacy in the general elections of October 9, also covered, as a journalist, the terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado for the online news portal “Pinnacle News”.
Arlindo Chissale lived in Pemba, the provincial capital of Cabo Delgado, and in Nacala, Nampula province, northern Mozambique.
According to Letela, the case, which was open on January 29, is currently in the preparatory stage.
On January 23, Arlindo Chissale’s brother told Lusa that he believed the activist and politician had been killed by the military and asked for “justice and the return of his body”.
“We know he is no longer with us. We are asking for justice and for his body to be returned to us, because he leaves behind five school-age children that I have to look after,” Macário Chissale said at the time.
At least 106 Podemos members and supporters have been killed since the start of the post-election protests and another 15 have been injured, said a source from the party on January 18. Podemos went from being an extra-parliamentary party to the largest opposition party after gaining popularity following a political alliance with presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane in the October 9 elections.
Mozambique has experienced the worst protests the country has seen since the first multi-party elections, in 1994. They have been led by former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who rejects the October 9 election results that gave victory to Daniel Chapo.
According to data from civil society organizations, almost 400 people have lost their lives as a result of clashes between the police and protesters, which have also led to looting and destruction of businesses and public infrastructure.
The Mozambican government has previously confirmed at least 80 deaths, in addition to the destruction of 1,677 commercial establishments, 177 schools and 23 health units during the protests.
However, on March 23, Mondlane and Daniel Chapo, the inaugurated President, met for the first time and a commitment was made to end the post-election violence in the country, although mutual criticism and accusations continue to characterise the public statements of the two politicians.
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