The Challenge....

I am often asked what I am doing in Mozambique. The short answer is usually Police Reform with the UNDP. But I find that explanation obscures the reality of the challenge at hand.

Police reform occurs everywhere, even in the most developed of nations. The role of those mandated with the responsibility of public safety and security evolves with the society that they serve. Many factors come into play, not least of which the nature of the state's political arrangement and its socio-economic condition. These are as unique to Mozambique as they are in other places.

I do not have the time or the expertise at this point to attempt an amateur explanation of the condition in which Mozambique finds itself. Moreover, any version I can give you here would be oversimplified. So instead I decided to post a recent article found in a daily online news brief that is circulated among the international community here. I consider it fair and balanced.

However, you must note that the news story presented here is much more complex than it appears, and that there are numerous views, theories, and angles which have some credibility found in various media publications in this country. Unfortunately they are all in Portuguese. Regardless, given my position here it is best that I do not appear to promote any particular position.

Thus what follows stands as an example of what is becoming the reality here in Maputo.

MURDERED POLICE OFFICERS WERE BETRAYED

Maputo, 20 Aug (AIM) - The Mozambican Police (PRM) believes that a leak of information, and possibly treason, were behind the brutal murder of an unfortunate trio of plain clothes police officers, who were killed in Maputo on Friday, when they were sprayed with a hail of AK-47 assault rifles bullets by a gang of yet unidentified criminals.

The assassins are still at large. The incident was reported around 11:30 PM at the Av. de Angola, in front of a branch of the Banco Austral, in the vicinity of the Maputo International Airport.

The trio was part of the “Rio Brigade”, a PRM special unit to deal with violent crimes, and have been identified as Gilberto Mondlane, Luís Cuco, and António Paulo.

However, the police claim to be in the possession of the identity of the gang that committed this murder, and also of another gang that shot at one police officer in a separate incident at the neighbourhood of Zona Verde, outskirts of the Maputo, in the Matola municipality on the early hours of Saturday.

As for this last incident, the police officer, whose identity was not disclosed, was hit on his leg and stomach, and had to undergo a surgery at the Maputo Central Hospital (HCM). He is reported to be in the Intensive Care Unit.

According to the police, someone within the police force may have tipped off the criminals on the route being used by the 'Rio Brigade' trio, during their patrol mission.

Then, the gang followed the police vehicle to the scene of the crime, where they opened fire, killing the driver. The uncontrolled vehicle drifted along the road, coming to a stand still after crashing against a fixed obstacle.

With the vehicle immobilized, the criminals jumped out from their car while shooting at the police officers.

Caught by surprise, the unfortunate trio had no time to return fire. The criminals really meant to kill. Inside the vehicle of the deceased, only two pistols were found.

Meanwhile, a police elite unit attended in the Zandamela district, in the southern Inhambane province, over the weekend, the funeral of a criminal known as Abrantes. He was one of the members of the gang of Agostinho Chauque, the most wanted criminal in Mozambique.

Abrantes was shot and burnt alive in the Maputo province, and died at the HCM.

The special unit sent to attend Abrantes funeral, sought to capture Agostinho Chauque and other gang members, who are accused in connection with a spate of crimes, including assassinations, bank robberies and other crimes reported in Maputo in the last few weeks.

Unfortunately for the authorities, the operation did not yield any positive results, because none of the suspects searched by the police featured in the list of wanted criminals.
(AIM)