Page 11 - AfrOil Week 21 2022

AfrOil POLICY AfrOil

The SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) was deployed in July 2021 (Image: SADC)

Mozambique’s Parliament

passes anti-terrorism law

MOZAMBIQUE MOZAMBIQUE’S parliament has passed a new and natural gas-rich north, ignited the conflict
anti-terror law that prescribes up to 24 years by attacking government and army positions.
imprisonment for those convicted of terrorism In parliament on May 19, representatives of
crimes. two opposition parties abstained from the vote,
The law, passed on May 19, also imposes protesting against the section that seeks to pun-
prison sentences of up to eight years for those ish those who disseminate false information on
who “intentionally disseminate information terrorism saying the government could use it to
according to which a terrorist act was or is likely curtail freedom of the media.
to be committed, knowing that the information Arnaldo Chalawa of the opposition REN-
is false,” according to The Defence Post. AMO party told The Defence Post: “The
“Mozambique is experiencing cruel, direct anti-terrorism law must not put at risk the right
impacts from terrorist attacks in the north,” of the press or expression.”
Minister for Gender, Children and Social Wel- Although the opposition abstained, the rul-
fare Nyeleti Mondlane told parliament. “We ing party FRELIMO had enough votes to pass
want to strengthen the law to combat terrorism.” the bill which President Felipe Nyusi recently
The south-eastern African country has since said he will assent to.
October 2017 been fighting a jihadist insurgency Originally, the bill said terrorism disinfor-
in the resource-rich northern Cabo Delgado mation and misinformation could attract 12 to
Province, where French oil major TotalEner- 16 year prison terms, but after protests, the pun-
gies is reportedly on the verge of announcing its ishment was reduced to between two and eight
return to the province to resume its $20bn LNG years imprisonment.
project. Reports say about 3,900 people have The Mozambican chapter of a media freedom
been killed and more than 800,000 displaced lobby group, Media Institute of Southern Africa
due to the unrest. warned, according to a national news agency,
About 3,100 troops from a number of Afri- AIM report on Thursday, that the “ambiguous
can countries including Zimbabwe, South wording of the bill could lead to arbitrary behav-
Africa and Rwanda were deployed in July 2021 iour by those who want to obstruct the develop-
to assist the Mozambican army to quell the ment of the media, of human rights defenders
rebellion. Mozambique has said the joint force and of civil society organisations.”
is winning thus has been encouraging civil serv- Meanwhile, Mozambique plans to estab-
ants, businesses and ordinary people to return. lish a sovereign wealth fund later this year as
Local youths, who claim to be affiliates of the it prepares to start natural gas exports that the
Islamic State and are reportedly unhappy over government has said could generate $96bn of
lack of economic opportunities in the mineral revenue for the world’s third-poorest nation. ™

Week 21 25•May•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P11