Sat 12 September 2020:
The soldiers committing the atrocities in the videos are wearing the uniforms of the Mozambique Armed Defence Forces
“This behaviour flouts fundamental principles of humanity. The abuses attributed to the group known as al-Shabab can never justify further violations by the security forces of Mozambique,” Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s director for East and Southern Africa, said.
“The government of Mozambique must now order a swift, transparent, and impartial investigation to bring all those responsible for such crimes to justice in fair trials,” Muchena said.
The armed group began in northern Cabo Delgado province – bordering Tanzania in the north and the Indian Ocean to the east – in October 2017.
More than 1,000 civilians have been killed, mainly by the rebels, and the total number of fatalities stands at 1,854 including combatants on either side, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.