Zitamar Weekly: Mozambique's slide to authoritarianism
Welcome to Zitamar's Weekly newsletter for 12 January 2019
Good afternoon, and Happy New Year. First some housekeeping: this mailing list is migrating, so to ensure you continue receiving the Zitamar Weekly email, please click the link below and sign up if you are not already subscribed to that list. You will have the option to buy a paid-for subscription to our Daily Briefing and our website; but if you don’t pay you’ll still receive this Weekly email.
Sauti’s Chart of the Week this week shows Mozambique’s depressing slide down the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, to now be classified as an authoritarian state. The main justification is the running of last year’s municipal elections, widely seen as fraudulent - and which the EIU notes could threaten peace talks with Renamo.
With the arrest almost a week ago of our colleague Amade Abubacar in Cabo Delgado, and his ongoing illegal detention in a military barracks, the authoritarian designation seems even more apt.
FREE TO READ: Journalist detention shows Mozambique’s ‘contempt’ for press freedom – rights groups
The government could still prove analysts wrong however, , if the ruling party commits to free and fair elections, and the police and military stop their crackdown on the media, in particular in Cabo Delgado. One thing should be done immediately: #FreeAmade.
FREE TO READ: Uncaught Tuna: Free Amade Abubacar
What will be harder to turn around is the incapacity and/or unwillingness of Mozambican justice to hold its own powerful people to account. Mozambicans are showing their gratitude en masse to the US for doing it for them. The office of the Mozambican Prosecutor-General has now sprung into action, but the timing suggests this is more likely to b a tactic to oppose former finance minister, Manuel Chang’s, extradition to the US, than a genuine attempt to prosecute those responsible for the ‘hidden debts’.
SEE: Mozambique prosecutors name 17 suspects in ‘hidden debts’ case
SEE: Mozambique prosecutor says lack of US cooperation hindered its ‘hidden debts’ investigation
With or without Chang, the case will go ahead as one of the defendants, Privinvest’s Jean Boustani, is already in the hands of US prosecutors. The indictment is damning, though Boustani’s lawyers have apparently said they’ll get their client off. It will be a fascinating case to follow.
SEE: EMATUM millions borrowed for kickbacks, bribes, and ProIndicus ‘cushion’, US says
FREE TO READ: Joseph Hanlon: Special report on US indictment of Chang & others
Finally, a reminder to click below to ensure you are signed up to our other mailing list, to continue receiving this Weekly email.
Have a great weekend.
RECENT POSTS
Journalist detention shows Mozambique’s ‘contempt’ for press freedom – rights groups
Mozambique prosecutors name 17 suspects in ‘hidden debts’ case
Mozambique prosecutor says lack of US cooperation hindered its ‘hidden debts’ investigation
Joseph Hanlon: Special report on US indictment of Chang & others
EMATUM millions borrowed for kickbacks, bribes, and ProIndicus ‘cushion’, US says