Mozambique: Are "Death Squads" targeting the opposition?

Mozambique: Are "death squads" targeting the opposition? June 1, 2026On May 9, 2026, Anselmo Vicente, coordinator of the ANAMOLA party in Chimoio, in Mozambique's central Manica province, was shot dead outside his home. According to police, he was killed while "returning home from a party meeting." Just days later, on May 15, another ANAMOLA member, Pedro Chauke, was also and killed in his home in the southern Gaza province. Witnesses described the perpetrators as "ruthless and professional." Both cases illustrate an growing wave of violence targeting opposition figures across the country. Particularly affected are supporters of the National Alliance for a Free and Autonomous Mozambique (ANAMOLA), founded by opposition politician Venancio Mondlane after the disputed elections of October 9, 2024. Mondlane accuses Mozambican state of lethal violence ANAMOLA leader Mondlane told DW the government, judiciary and security forces were "at least partly responsible" for the violence against his supporters. Since the party's founding in August 2025, 56 members had been killed, he said. ANAMOLA has also documented 436 incidents of violence, including assaults and arson attacks. Mondlane, who has described the2024 election as rigged and led nationwide protests, spoke of deliberate political repression: "The government is complicit in these murders." He said his party had submitted evidence to the authorities — so far without consequences. Activists report increasing intimidation in Mozambique For years, allegations have circulated in Mozambique about so-called death squads, allegedly targeting state critics. During the civil war between the ruling FRELIMO party and RENAMO rebels from 1977 to 1992, both sides committed serious human rights abuses and political killings. Since around 2015, activists, journalists and human rights organizations have reported on the alleged presence of organized groups within the security forces which are accused of intimidating or murdering opposition figures and critical voices. The allegations are directed mainly at police units and other security agencies said to have close ties to the ruling FRELIMO party. Maputo rejects responsibility Dias Letela, spokesperson for the FRELIMO parliamentary group, said the incidents were "isolated cases" to be addressed through the judicial system. The goal, he said, should be "to bring those responsible before the courts." The government completely distances itself from the killings. Fear grows among Mozambican opposition ANAMOLA currently has no representation in parliament, where FRELIMO — in power since independence in 1975 — holds 171 of the 250 seats. But nervousness is also growing among the three opposition parties currently represented in parliament: PODEMOS (Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique), RENAMO and MDM (Democratic Movement of Mozambique). MDM politician Judite Macuacua told Mozambican parliamentarian the situation was a systemic problem. Critical voices, she said, are ruthlessly suppressed by the former Marxist liberation movement FRELIMO — if necessary through violence: "Anyone who refuses to follow the official line may face a death sentence in Mozambique." An attack on Mozambican democracy Civil society groups are demanding independent investigations into the murders and attacks against opposition politicians. "In Mozambique, there is an extremely high level of political intolerance and violence," says Adriano Nuvunga, director of the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD) in Maputo. "This was already the case under the one-party state and has not fundamentally changed since the introduction of a multi-party system in 1990. FRELIMO still does not tolerate dissent." Nuvunga adds: "What we are witnessing here is not merely a democratic deficit or state failure. We are dealing with what is effectively a criminal state." He argued that the attacks were state-organized: "There are death squads in Mozambique. And these death squads are deployed by the state. They kill in order to spread fear, destroy the opposition and discourage people from political participation." Murders of Mozambican opposition members go unsolved DECIDE, a Mozambican NGO, has recorded a dramatic rise in political violence since the last elections. Spokesperson Wilker Dias accused the government of controlling the judiciary and the prosecutor's office. His organization, he said, had repeatedly reported specific cases — without any visible investigative progress. "We are talking about murders of members of political parties, but also assaults, arbitrary arrests and other forms of political persecution," Dias told DW. That police and judicial authorities have failed to solve many of the cases, he said, suggests members of so-called death squads may be involved. "The most plausible hypothesis is that these attacks are politically motivated." Growing concern over politically motivated killings in Mozambique The Mozambican Bar Association (OAM), long considered close to the government, has voiced similar concerns. In an official statement, it described the recent politically motivated killings as a "serious attack" on life and democracy and called for "really independent investigations." The Mozambican state, the association said, appears unable to fulfill one of its most fundamental duties: guaranteeing the security of its citizens. For human rights activist and lawyer Wilker Dias, strong public statements such as the OAM's are a sign that growing resistance against political violence and repression is emerging in Mozambique. This article was adapted from German