MOZAMBIQUE: HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT PROVOKES MOSTLY

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000322

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TAGS: PHUM PREL MZ
SUBJECT: MOZAMBIQUE: HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT PROVOKES MOSTLY
FAVORABLE COMMENT BY GOVERNMENT AND MEDIA



1. (U) The recently released 2004 Human Rights Report chapter
on Mozambique has received mostly favorable attention in the
local press and provoked considerable discussion in the media
over human rights concerns in the country. On March 4 the
state-run daily Noticias ran a story over an interview given
by the Attorney General, Joaquim Madeira, on his reaction to
the Human Rights Report. Madeira admitted that there were
certain "weaknesses" on the part of authorities in
administering Mozambique's justice system, though he
attributed some of this to lack of resources. He said, also,
that the lax attitude of the Chissano era was partly to
blame, though he noted that in the new Guebuza government
authorities would have to behave responsibly. Several
prominent local politicians contacted by the newspaper later
in the week affirmed the accuracy of the reports'
conclusions, and called for more action on the part of the
government and the populace to respect human rights.


2. (SBU) The one sour note came from Paul Fauvet, a
naturalized Mozambican editor of the government news service,
who wrote a condemnatory article entitled "Omission and
Incompetence." Starting his piece by blasting the U.S. over
the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, he then took potshots at the
Mozambique report for not detailing sources and, in his view,
for unsubstantiated or exaggerated claims. We've reviewed
the report carefully, as a result, and feel comfortable that
Fauvet failed to highlight any real shortcomings in the
document or in our work. Last year Fauvet made similar
complaints.


3. (U) Comment: The government and media are largely
appreciative of the report's findings, and discussion
prompted by the report invariably ends by concluding that
much more should be done. We will use the report in upcoming
meetings with government officials to urge more action on
human rights concerns.
LALIME