‘Civilians killed as war crimes committed by armed group, government forces, and private military contractors – new report’

Hundreds of civilians in Mozambique have been unlawfully killed by the armed group known locally as ‘Al-Shabaab’, government security forces and a private military company hired by the government, Amnesty International said today, as it published a new report on the ongoing conflict in Cabo Delgado. The report, ‘What I Saw Is Death’: War Crimes in Mozambique’s Forgotten Cape, documents serious violations of international humanitarian law by all parties resulting in widespread death, destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has caused more than half-a-million people to flee. It also details accounts of violence against civilians by ‘Al-Shabaab’, extrajudicial executions and other human rights violations by government security forces, and indiscriminate attacks by South African private military company Dyck Advisory Group.

“The people of Cabo Delgado are caught between the Mozambican security forces, the private militia fighting alongside the government and the armed opposition group locally known as ‘Al-Shabaab’ - none of which respect their right to life, or the rules of war,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. “All three have committed war crimes, causing the deaths of hundreds of civilians. The international community has failed to address this crisis as it has escalated into full-blown armed conflict over the last three years…Government forces have also carried out vicious attacks against civilians accused of collaborating with or supporting ‘Al-Shabaab’. The military and police have committed extrajudicial executions and acts of torture and other ill-treatment, and have mutilated bodies.

…After security forces lost a number of battles with ‘Al-Shabaab’, the government hired the Dyck Advisory Group (DAG), a South African private military company, to fight on their behalf using armed helicopters. According to 53 witnesses who spoke to Amnesty International, DAG operatives have fired machine guns from helicopters and dropped hand grenades indiscriminately into crowds of people, as well as repeatedly fired at civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and homes….“The testimony we have gathered reveals a pattern of repeated, reckless targeting by Dyck Advisory Group,” said Deprose Muchena. “By firing indiscriminately into crowds, attacking civilian infrastructure, and failing to distinguish between military and civilian targets, they have clearly violated international humanitarian law. They must now be held accountable for their actions.”