A journalist in Mozambique was the target of a suspected assassination attempt earlier this week, prompting condemnation from Amnesty International and raising concerns about the safety of media workers in the country. The incident comes amid a broader crackdown on dissent following disputed elections last October.
On , Carlitos Cadangue, a reporter for SOICO Television (STV), was fired upon by armed men in Chimoio city, Manica province, while driving home with his son. Cadangue stated the attackers were dressed in the uniform of the national police, though this has not been independently confirmed. Dozens of bullets struck his vehicle, but neither he nor his son were injured.
The attack follows Cadangue’s reporting on illegal gold mining operations in Manica province, which led to the suspension of mining licenses in the region, including those of companies involved in illicit activities. Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, described the attempt on Cadangue’s life as “gravely concerning” and indicative of “growing attacks on the country’s journalists simply for doing their job.”
The attempted murder of Carlitos Cadangue, who has been actively reporting on the illegal mining of gold in the province of Manica, is gravely concerning and shows the growing attacks on the country’s journalists simply for doing their job.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa
Chagutah called for a prompt, thorough, independent, and impartial investigation into the attack, and for those responsible to be brought to justice. He emphasized that the incident was “a brazen act designed to silence a journalist who has shone a spotlight on the misdeeds of the powerful and to intimidate others from doing the same.”
The attempted murder is not an isolated incident. Amnesty International has documented a pattern of attacks against journalists in Mozambique. In , João Chamusse, the editor of the journal Ponto por Ponto, was found dead in his home. Arlindo Chissale has been missing since , with witnesses reporting he was forcibly removed from a minibus, beaten, and driven away by individuals allegedly connected to the defence and security forces.
The deteriorating environment for journalists coincides with a period of political tension in Mozambique. General elections held on , resulted in a victory for the Front for Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo), extending its almost 50-year rule. However, the election results were immediately contested by opposition parties, civil society groups, and electoral observers, who alleged widespread rigging. These allegations were denied by Frelimo.
Following the announcement of the results, large-scale protests erupted across the country. Police responded with force, using live ammunition and tear gas to suppress demonstrations, particularly those organized by opposition members and supporters. Amnesty International reported that at least people died as a result of the police response to protests in . At least people were killed in post-election violence, and dozens more were arrested, according to reports from Amnesty International and other human rights groups.
The crackdown on protests intensified in the lead-up to a planned major opposition march in Maputo on . Amnesty International called on the Frelimo-led government to halt its “violent and widespread crackdown on human rights” and to respect the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.
Beyond the political unrest, Mozambique continues to grapple with significant humanitarian challenges. The country experienced a prolonged drought in , exacerbated by the El Niño effect, affecting approximately people, particularly women in the southern and central regions. Cyclone Chido also caused widespread devastation in northern Mozambique, resulting in deaths and displacing or affecting over people.
The international community is watching Mozambique closely, concerned about the erosion of democratic norms and the increasing restrictions on fundamental freedoms. The safety of journalists, and the ability to report freely and without fear of reprisal, is seen as a key indicator of the health of Mozambique’s democracy. Amnesty International’s Chagutah stressed the need for authorities to take “urgent steps to effectively uphold the human rights of everyone in the country and protect journalists from harassment, intimidation and threats to their lives, whether from state actors or private individuals,” and to end the “prevailing culture of impunity” that fuels these attacks.
This was a brazen act designed to silence a journalist who has shone a spotlight on the misdeeds of the powerful and to intimidate others from doing the same.
Tigere Chagutah
