Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Eritrean Minister of Foreign Affairs Osman Saleh, in the attendance of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration Dr. Badr Abdel-Aty, Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service Major General Abbas Kamel and the Eritrean ambassador in Cairo.

The Spokesman for the Presidency said President El-Sisi received a letter from Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, in which he expressed appreciation for President El-Sisi and the relations between the two brotherly countries. The Eritrean president looked forward to enhancing consultation and coordination on issues of common interest, which was valued by President El-Sisi. The President confirmed Egypt’s keenness to advance efforts to deepen the distinguished relations and cooperation between the two countries, so as to benefit the two peoples and achieve their common interests, in light of the mounting regional challenges that call for intensifying discussions on ways to address them.

The meeting touched on the regional situation, particularly issues and threats in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. Both countries confirmed keenness to continue joint coordination and consultation at various levels, so as to support security and stability in the region.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Reacting to the start of a technical investigation mission ordered by the Ministry of the Environment of Congo into the Metssa Congo recycling plant located in Vindoulou, Pointe-Noire region, Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said:

“We welcome the Ministry of the Environment’s decision to carry out this investigation, which follows the total suspension of the plant’s activities due to serious health risks documented by Amnesty International in June 2024.

“The authorities must make the investigation report public and, depending on its findings, ensure that effective remedies are provided to those harmed by Metssa Congo’s operations in Vindoulou. This might include monetary compensation, access to medical treatment, or other appropriate initiatives. In the event that the company is required to relocate to prevent further health risks, it must be ensured that the plant, which is located 50 metres from a school, is moved to an industrial zone that meets regulatory standards and adheres to the company’ human rights responsibilities to ensure these harms are not repeated.

“As the Republic of Congo plans to diversify its industrial activities, Amnesty International is calling on the authorities to ensure that companies act responsibly and respect their environmental and human rights obligations and responsibilities according to international and Congolese law.”

Background

A group of residents of Vindoulou, in the Pointe-Noire region, had been denouncing for years the fumes emanating from the Metssa Congo recycling plant, a subsidiary of the Indian company Metssa, which produces lead bars for export to several countries, including the United States.

Amnesty International’s report on the situation of environmental, economic and social rights of populations living near industrial companies in the Pointe-Noire region, showed that Metssa Congo had not carried out any environmental impact assessment before setting up in 2013, in violation of Congolese law. The company claimed to have obtained a licence in 2018 and an environmental compliance certificate in 2023, 10 years after it began operations.

In 2023, blood samples taken from 18 people living near the plant, including children, were analysed by an independent laboratory with the support of Amnesty International. All revealed lead concentrations well above the threshold set by the World Health Organization. The company had claimed that the fumes emanating from its plant were not toxic.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.

The Government of Japan has allocated JPY 300 million -approximately US$2 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to provide crucial humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations in northern Mozambique.

Food insecurity has increased in northern Mozambique in recent years, exacerbated by insecurity, recurrent displacement, and climatic and economic shocks. The contribution will help WFP to provide food assistance to some of the country’s most vulnerable populations, reaching around 48,000 internally displaced people in Cabo Delgado province with in-kind rations of Japanese rice and canned fish over a six-month period.

“In response to the severe challenge that northern Mozambique has been facing, the Government of Japan has been supporting people by providing both humanitarian and development assistance,” said Keiji HAMADA, Ambassador of Japan to Mozambique. “We hope that, under this new partnership with WFP, Japanese rice and canned fish will be delivered to people in need as many as  possible and contribute to the improvement of food insecurity.”

WFP will provide rice and canned fish in areas where markets have been disrupted by ongoing insecurity through bi-monthly distributions.  

“The strength of our partnership with Japan, as well as with WFP, underlines the importance of unity and collaboration in the view of adversity imposed by the many events affecting our country” said Luísa Meque, President of the National Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (INGD).

Through this collaboration, WFP and the Government of Japan will work together with the Government of Mozambique to support vulnerable communities in northern Mozambique to meet their essential food and nutrition needs and foster lasting stability and recovery in the region, promoting a pathway to long-term food security and well-being.

“This generous contribution from the Japanese government comes at a critical time for the people of Mozambique,” said Maurício Burtet, WFP Deputy Country Director. “It will allow us to provide life-saving food assistance to those who have been displaced by the conflict, ensuring that they have access to nutritious food during these difficult times”.

The Government of Japan is a long-standing partner of WFP in Mozambique. Since 2019, Japan has provided US$ 26 million to WFP’s humanitarian operations by providing emergency food assistance to internally displaced people in Cabo Delgado province, people affected by cyclone Idai in Sofala province, and drought-affected populations in Gaza province. Japan’s contributions to WFP have also supported livelihoods activities to refugees and asylum-seekers in Maratane Refugee Camp, Nampula Province, and smallholders’ agriculture and market support activities in Ribaue and Malema districts, also in Nampula province.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).

Convictions follow shooting near Banhine National Park in 2020; Victims deserve reparations reflecting severity of crimes.

Amnesty International and Mozambique’s Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD) have welcomed the sentencing of six police officers at the Mabalane District Court for the shooting of six local residents near Banhine National Park on 3 November 2020.

In 2021, Amnesty International called for a thorough investigation into the shooting, which led to the government initiating legal action that culminated in a recent conviction. The court concluded – based on confessions, expert reports and ballistic tests – that the shots fired by the officers were disproportionate and inappropriate, constituting a violation of human rights.

However, Amnesty International and CDD are concerned that the court’s plan for reparations for the victims does not reflect the severity of the crime committed. In lieu of prison sentences, the court ordered fines of 16,500 meticais (approximately £200) for each officer be paid to the victims. This token payment raises concerns regarding whether the court risks sending a message of impunity by not adequately addressing the gravity of the violations.

“This verdict is an important milestone in seeking justice for the victims of this tragic event,” said Khanyo Farisè, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Research in East and Southern Africa.

“However, while the court’s decision represents a step towards justice for the victims, the compensation they have received does not correspond to the suffering they endured.

“Reparations must always be adequate, effective, and prompt, and proportionate to the seriousness of the violations and the harm suffered. We stand in solidarity with the victims in lodging an appeal, urging the court to reconsider the reparations to ensure that they align with international human rights standards.”

Professor Adriano Nuvunga, director of Mozambique’s Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, said: “The use of weapons of war, such as AK-47s, for the purpose of crowd control is unacceptable and represents a clear violation of human rights. Although the guilty verdict is a positive development, we are concerned that the suspended three-month prison term and the fines do not provide sufficient accountability or justice for the victims.

“Impunity in cases of police violence must be actively challenged, and authorities must be held fully accountable. It is essential that the Mozambique authorities take robust measures to prevent such incidents in the future, and ensure a strong commitment to human rights and the dignity of all people.”  

On Thursday 18 July 2024, the Mabalane District Court in Gaza Province sentenced six officers of the Special Intervention Unit, linked to the Provincial Command of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) in Gaza, to a three-month prison sentence and a corresponding fine. The officers – Paulo Dimétrio, Celso Matusse, Jaime Maússe, Afonso Xavier, Jaime Simbine and Moisês Maricoa, all members of the 13th Brigade of the PRM – were convicted of involuntary bodily harm. The sentence made it clear that the use of AK-47 rifles is not justified in crowd control situations, stating that “those who fire this type of weapon have the purpose of killing”.

Background

On 3 November 2020, park rangers, with support from the Police Special Intervention Unit in the nearby town of Xai Xai, led an operation against what they alleged was illegal charcoal production in or near Banhine National Park in Gaza Province.

During the operation, park rangers and police burned charcoal kilns and arrested more than 20 people. When local villagers heard about the operation, they decided to talk to the rangers immediately. To stop the vehicles of park rangers and police, the villagers blocked the road just outside of the park with large logs. Interviewees said that when the rangers and police stopped their vehicles, four men from the community walked toward them with their empty hands held high. They said that rangers and police officers suddenly opened fire, hitting six men.

Following the shooting, Amnesty International interviewed 26 people, including victims and witnesses, community and government officials, and individuals involved in the management of Banhine National Park. It also reviewed official documents published by Mozambique’s government and other organizations, local hospital and media reports, and academic papers, and called for a thorough investigation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Amnesty International.