Mozambique sets December deadline to surrender illegal weapons

Mozambique's President Daniel Francisco Chapo warned on Sunday that illegally held weapons will be forcibly collected after December, when a police amnesty programme expires.

Chapo said citizens would not be questioned, punished or detained if they turn over their firearms before the deadline.

Speaking at the closing ceremony for a special operations training course, the president called on police to show discipline, professionalism and respect for the law in maintaining public order and security.

“Specialisation does not place you above the law. On the contrary, the greater the operational capacity of a force, the greater its discipline must be”, he said, stressing that the exercise of authority must respect human rights and citizens’ fundamental freedoms.

Chapo also called for continued investment in police training. He said public security is essential to achieving “economic independence,” preserving peace, defending national sovereignty and safeguarding territorial integrity.

In the face of increasingly complex crimes, including human and drug trafficking, kidnappings, organised crime and cybercrime, Chapo urged stronger cooperation between the police and other defence and security forces to improve the response to these threats.

Mozambique's northern province of Cabo Delgado has been plagued by jihadist insurgents since 2017. Chapo said the situation has improved compared in the last two years, thanks to the efforts of the country's Defence and Security Forces, as well as troops from Rwanda and Tanzania, in combating terrorism.

In August, a UN Special Rapporteur said "the frequency, severity and scale of attacks against civilians had increased over the past year."