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Mozambique: Murder of Mondlane top aides Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe raises “many lines of investigation”- Top Prosecutor
3:29 CAT | 30 Apr 2025
FILE - An image of Paulo Guambe and advisor and lawyer Elvino Dias, both working with Mozambique's leading opposition candidate for the 'Obtimist party for the development of Mozambique' (PODEMOS), during a vigil the day after they were shot dead in Maputo, on 19 October 2024. [File photo: Lusa]
The Attorney General of the Republic of Mozambique, Américo Letela, said today in parliament that the case of Venâncio Mondlane’s top advisors murdered by gunfire in Maputo in October, 2024, raises “many lines of investigation”.
“In the case in question, there is much speculation about the motivations for this crime, however, it is up to the investigation to explore all lines and determine which leads to the search for the material truth. […] The elements we have lead us to the need to combine all lines of investigation,” Attorney General Américo Letela said today in answer to questions from deputies in parliament.
Shortly after the 2024 general elections, on the night of October 18, Venâncio Mondlane’s legal advisor, the well-known lawyer Elvino Dias, and Paulo Guambe, the leader of Podemos, the party that supported Mondlane’s presidential candidacy, were fatally shot by machine gun in the centre of Maputo, to the consternation of Mozambican society.
In parliament, Américo Letela promised Mozambicans to investigate and clarify the murder of Mondlane’s direct supporters, but asked for “patience” in exploring the many “lines of investigation”.
“There are many lines of investigation available to us, so we have to explore them as much as possible and often the investigation does not tolerate a lack of patience. […] The criminal may put up a line just to divert the real line of investigation that can lead to him,” Letela explained.
READ: CIP Mozambique Elections: Two top aides of Venâncio Mondlane gunned down
Following the death of his supporters and in search of the aforementioned “electoral truth”, former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane led the worst protests in Mozambique, with post-election demonstrations in which almost 400 people lost their lives as a result of clashes between the police and protesters, according to data from civil society organizations, also degenerating into looting and destruction of businesses and public infrastructure.
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On Tuesday, the Attorney General’s Office called for a specific law against crimes of vandalism, destruction of property and curtailment of freedoms during protests, after similar acts were recorded during post-election demonstrations.
The Mozambican government previously confirmed that at least 80 deaths occurred during the demonstrations, in addition to the destruction of 1,677 commercial establishments, 177 schools and 23 health units.
On March 23, Mondlane and Daniel Chapo, the inaugurated President, met for the first time and a commitment was made to end post-election violence in the country, although mutual criticism and accusations continue to characterise the public statements of the two politicians.
READ: Mozambique: PGR calls for specific law on criminal acts during protests – Lusa
Source: Lusa
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