Mozambican President calls for action “without contemplation” against criminals

O Mozambican President demanded “without contemplation” against criminals, terrorists and kidnappers, warned that police special units do not “debate” with criminals, but are also not above the law and must respect human rights.

“ The task of the special units is not to comment, it is not to debate, it is not to negotiate with terrorists, kidnappers, traffickers or armed groups. His mission is to protect the people, secure the law and restore the order where it is threatened,” said Daniel Chapo, at the closing Friday night of the XX Special Operations Units and Reserve Course of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM), in Macandzene, Gaza province.

The head of state defended a muscular response to organized crime, stating that newly graduated agents must act firmly against threats to the country's security.

According to Daniel Chapo, special units are a key instrument of the State to face challenges such as terrorism, kidnapping, human trafficking, trafficking in human organs, drug trafficking, money laundering and cybercrime, phenomena that it considered to be among the main threats to national security.

“ Be hard, when necessary, without contemplations ", said, addressing the graduates: “The country expects readiness, discipline, courage and results from you.”.

The head of state then reinforced the need for determined action in the face of violent crime and threats to national sovereignty.

For Chapo, the effectiveness of special units depends on their ability to respond quickly and to intervene in situations that endanger the security of citizens or the functioning of State institutions.

However, it also stressed that the performance of special forces must remain strictly framed by legality.

“Specialization does not put you above the law. Quite the opposite. The greater his power of intervention, the greater must be respect for law and human rights ", he said.

Addressing the new operatives, the Head of State maintained that the specialized training and the increased means at their disposal do not constitute authorisation for abuse or actions outside the constitutional principles.

“Discipline, ethics, responsibility and respect for human rights must always go hand in hand with your operational capacity,” he added.

Chapo also insisted that the exercise of authority by police forces should be based not only on the ability to intervene, but also on the way in which this intervention is conducted.

“ The legitimacy of the public force lies not only in its ability to act, but also in the way it acts”, he said.

According to the President, this combination of operational efficiency and respect for law distinguishes security forces in a democratic society.

In his speech, the Head of State also pointed out signs of improvement in the results achieved by the authorities in the fight against organised crime, highlighting in particular developments in the fight against kidnapping.

“ On October 7th, we celebrated a year without record of kidnappings in our Republic of Mozambique. It is a feat that hasn’t happened for nearly 15 years”, he emphasized.

Chapo considered that this result demonstrates the increasing capacity of the authorities and encouraged security forces to continue efforts to consolidate the gains achieved in recent months.