VIOLENT POLICEMEN ARRESTED

Members of the Mozambican riot police who savagely beat up a group of unarmed security guards on Wednesday have been arrested, reports Friday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Noticias”.About 100 off-duty security guards were protesting about deductions from their wages and unpaid overtime outside the human resource department of the Maputo branch of Group Four Securicor (G4S), the largest security company in the world.When protestors broke windows and tore up fencing, a riot police unit was ordered to the scene. Not content with dispersing the protestors with the use of tear gas, the police chased the guards, and beat anyone they caught with their truncheons, even though the guards did not resist arrest. The police even invaded nearby houses looking for the fleeing demonstrators.The savage beatings were carried out in full view of reporters, and caught on camera. When the police realized they were being filmed, they intimidated the reporters. One policeman was filmed threatening to smash a camera belonging to the independent television station, STV.A source in the General Command of the police told “Noticias” that the riot police members involved are under detention, and a commission of inquiry has been set up. The commission will ascertain who sent the riot police to repress the demonstration, why so much violence was used, and the individual responsibility of each of the policemen.The source did not say how many people are under detention, but “Noticias” believes that the entire riot police unit, including its commander, has been arrested. Interior Minister Alberto Mondlane on Thursday recognised that excessive force had been used. He told reporters in Chilembene, in the southern province of Gaza, where he was attending commemorations of Mozambican Women’s Day, that the government condemned the violence.“The government saw what was reported on television”, said Mondlane. “That excessive use of force by members of the police is to be condemned. It is against our regulations and our laws”.He said that the norms in force in Mozambique, and international policing norms, establish that force should only be used rationally, and only as far as strictly necessary.“Only the force necessary should be applied and no more than that”, he said. “That’s why we condemn what happened on Wednesday, and we shall take measures in accordance with the internal norms of the police and with the laws in force in Mozambique”.“We shall analyse in depth what happened”, pledged Mondlane. “We want to know who did this, and on whose orders, and then we shall take the necessary measures”.The Mozambican branch of the regional press freedom body MISA (Media Institute of Southern Africa) condemned the threats made by the riot police against reporters, and the attempts to prevent STV from filming the violence. MISA pointed out that such police behaviour is a flagrant violation of the 1991 Press Law which grants journalists “free access to and the right to remain in public places where it is necessary for them to exercise their professional duties”.The law also states that reporters have the right “not to be removed or in any way prevented from carrying out their mission in the place where their presence as media professionals may be necessary”.The MISA statement noted that the organisation has repeatedly warned the authorities to train the defence and security forces properly so that they carry out their duties to maintain order in accordance with the rule of law, and in respect for the fundamental human rights enshrined in the Mozambican constitution.