Mozambique’s President, Daniel Francisco Chapo, has warned that authorities will begin forcibly collecting illegally held firearms after December, when a police amnesty programme expires.
Chapo said citizens who surrender their weapons before the deadline would not be questioned, punished or detained, urging those in possession of illegal firearms to take advantage of the amnesty.
The president spoke on Sunday at the closing ceremony of a special operations training course, where he urged police officers to demonstrate 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.
Chapo stressed that the exercise of authority must respect human rights and the fundamental freedoms of citizens, regardless of the operational capabilities of security personnel.
He also called for sustained investment in police training, describing public security as essential to achieving economic independence, preserving peace, defending national sovereignty and protecting the country’s territorial integrity.
Against the backdrop of increasingly complex crimes, including human and drug trafficking, kidnapping, organised crime and cybercrime, the president urged closer cooperation between the police and other defence and security agencies to strengthen the country’s response to emerging threats.
Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado has faced a jihadist insurgency since 2017.
Chapo said the security situation had improved over the past two years, crediting the country’s Defence and Security Forces, alongside troops from Rwanda and Tanzania, with efforts to combat terrorism.
However, concerns remain over attacks on civilians. In August, a United Nations Special Rapporteur warned that “the frequency, severity and scale of attacks against civilians had increased over the past year.”
