In response to the apparent assassination of the mayor of Nampula City, Mahamudo Amurane, by three unidentified gunmen late on 4 October in Nampula, Mozambique, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for Southern Africa Deprose Muchena said:
“The killing of Mahamudo Amurane is tragic, deplorable and deeply suspicious.
“Since coming into office in 2013, the Nampula City mayor had bravely tackled corruption head on. It is no secret that this made him a target of attacks, even within his own Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) party.
“Mozambique authorities must launch a prompt, thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation into this killing, make public the report of any such investigation, and ensure that suspected perpetrators are brought to justice in a fair trial.”
Background
Since his election as mayor of Nampula, Mahamudo Amurane embarked on a quest to root out corruption in the city’s administration and revitalize public infrastructure.
Following disagreements with the leadership of the MDM, he had announced his intention to leave the party and form his own to run for re-election in the October 2018 municipal elections.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
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