In 2024, the Committee to Protect Journalists documented a record 126 journalist deaths worldwide, with significant losses in conflict zones, namely Gaza, Sudan, and Mozambique. Press freedom in Mozambique is a critical issue, especially in light of the ongoing conflicts in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. Although the constitution guarantees freedom of expression, journalists face significant challenges when covering sensitive topics like corruption and human rights abuses.
Cabo Delgado has been mired in warfare since 2017, when the Islamist terrorist organization, aL-Shabaab attacked residents and security personnel. The insurgency has triggered military operations and led to the displacement of thousands of civilians. Despite the gravity of the situation, the Mozambican government has minimized the violence, categorizing it as terrorism and limiting media access. Journalists covering the violence and human rights violations in these regions frequently encounter brutality and even death, rendering it practically impossible for them to report without constraint.
Mozambique’s independence from Portugal in 1975 was one purely achieved by circumstance due to Portugal's internal issues. Since then, the media climate in Mozambique has been precarious. Following the civil war in 1992, a new democratic administration endeavoured to promote journalistic freedom. Despite the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression, these rights are not always upheld, especially regarding investigative journalism. The year 2000 marked a pivotal moment in Mozambican press freedom with the assassination of Carlos Cardoso, a journalist who exposed government corruption and highlighted the perils encountered by those who contest the prevailing order. Despite Cardoso’s murder, journalists investigating corruption or government malfeasance continue to face violence, intimidation, and legal persecution.
The absence of independent journalism in Cabo Delgado and the government's suppression of the media have grave consequences for Mozambique’s democracy and its international standing. Journalists reporting on the insurgency have faced state-sponsored intimidation, most notably on January 5, 2019, when journalist Amade Abubacar was wrongfully detained and tortured by security forces, compelling many to remain silent. The Mozambican government’s limitations on media access in the war zone, coupled with deadly reprisals against journalists, have fostered a perilous environment where trust is readily manipulated and obliterated.
The government’s denial of the true scale of the conflict in Cabo Delgado, has led to a media blackout that hides information from both the international world and the Mozambican public. This lack of transparency significantly restricts individual’s capacity to participate in informed discourse and make decisions vis-à-vis the country’s future. The suppression of independent media prevents the world from learning about the abuses taking place and reinforces a culture of impunity, allowing government officials and military personnel to act without fear of accountability.
In January 2025, journalist Arlindo Chissale was murdered. Chissale, a distinguished reporter for Pinnacle News, is yet another grim chapter in the repression of press freedom in Mozambique. Chissale died from injuries inflicted by security personnel in Cabo Delgado, a region plagued by insurrectionist violence Two weeks prior, Chissale was detained by security forces while covering Islamic rebellion in the region. Witnesses reported that he was abducted into an unmarked car, subjected to torture, and abandoned with life-threatening injuries.
Chissale was famous for his intrepid reporting of the human rights violations, corrupt dealings, and insurgents that plague the gas-abundant Cabo Delgado. Despite several previous arrests and intimidation efforts, he continued to document these sensitive matters. His family became aware of his death following his two-week disappearance. His brother confirmed that he had experienced torture before his death and that those responsible wore military uniforms.
Chissale’s death coincides with escalating political violence in Mozambique, with opposition party, RENAMO, accused of using political and military power to repress opposition groups. RENAMO was a militant group during the civil war but has since grown from a guerrilla force to a political powerhouse. Their biggest opposition party, PODEMOS, has reported the assassination of 106 of its members in the months following the disputed 2024 general elections. Chissale, who had left RENAMO to join PODEMOS became a target due to his work which exposed the corruption and violence perpetrated by his former affiliates. His efforts to expose them and shed light on government corruption ultimately made him vulnerable to violence in a political environment marked by growing instability and repression.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) denounced the brutal killing and demanded an independent investigation to bring the offenders to justice. The IFJ emphasized that acts of violence against journalists must not remain unpunished, asserting that people in authority should safeguard villains rather than inflict harm upon them. Journalists, civil society groups, and international entities are urging the Mozambican government to hold accountable those involved and responsible for the deadly assault on Chissale. They are pressing demands for the safeguarding of journalists nationwide.
Public opinion, as indicated by the outrage that followed Chissale’s death, concurs. The failure to investigate these actions and prosecute offenders exacerbates the atmosphere of dread regarding journalistic freedom. The international community views a transparent and comprehensive investigation into Chissale’s death as essential for the future of press freedom and a necessary step that Mozambique must take to prove its avowed dedication to human rights.
But for those who seek to realize this just dénouement, obstacles abound. The economic and commercial interests involved in Cabo Delgado are among its most significant. The region benefits from plethoric natural resources, especially natural gas, which has drawn considerable international investment. Multinational corporations have faced criticism for their insufficient interaction with the local community and for not ensuring that the money derived from their resources helps the people thereof. Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, keen to attract foreign investment, has shown itself reluctant to permit independent reporting that would reveal the human rights violations and corruption associated with these projects. The restriction of media coverage benefits both the government and foreign firms by enabling them to function without public oversight or responsibility.
The case of Arlindo Chissale serves as a stark reminder of the immense risks with which journalists who dare to report on the region’s most delicate matters must contend. The public has few resources to understand the true nature of the war and the human rights violations occurring, for access to information is becoming increasingly circumscribed. The situation highlights the important role that independent journalism must play in any well-functioning democracy. Citizens of all nations have the right to hold their governments accountable and seek justice for victims of violence and corruption, but can only do so if they possess access to veracious information regarding current events, the totality of which can only come from a free press.
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