Mozambique: Are "Death Squads" targeting the opposition?

Lead

At least dozens of opposition members and journalists have been abducted or killed in Mozambique since the disputed general elections of October 2024, according to a consortium of 30 journalists in 10 countries coordinated by the investigative network Forbidden Stories. The group’s reporting, published in collaboration with Mozambican outlet Zitamar and others, alleges the involvement of figures linked to the ruling Frelimo party and to Mozambican security forces in identifying and targeting government critics.

The wave of violence has intensified in recent months. In May 2026, Anselmo Vicente, coordinator of the opposition party ANAMOLA in Chimoio, was shot dead outside his home, according to Deutsche Welle. Days later, another ANAMOLA member, Pedro Chauke, was killed in his home in Gaza province. Witnesses described the perpetrators as "ruthless and professional," DW reported. The party’s founder, Venancio Mondlane, told DW that government, police, and judiciary are "accomplices" in the killings.

Coverage comparison

Three outlets — AllAfrica, Deutsche Welle, and RFI — have reported on the violence, each focusing on different aspects. AllAfrica, drawing on the Forbidden Stories investigation, emphasized a "media blackout" and the role of neighborhood block leaders, known as chefes de quarteirao, in crushing dissent. Deutsche Welle focused on the killings of ANAMOLA members and Mondlane’s accusations against the state. RFI’s contribution to the same investigation highlighted the "climate of fear" among journalists, detailing individual cases of murder and disappearance.

All three outlets attribute the violence primarily to government and security forces, though they rely heavily on opposition and activist accounts. None of the sources reported official investigations into most of the killings, and several noted that legal complaints have stalled.

Key claims

• Dozens of opposition members and journalists have been killed or abducted since the 2024 elections, according to the Forbidden Stories consortium as reported by AllAfrica and RFI.

• ANAMOLA, founded by Venancio Mondlane in August 2025, claims that 56 of its members have been killed and 436 incidents of violence documented, per DW. These figures, provided by Mondlane and the party, have not been independently verified.

• Journalists have paid a heavy price. RFI reported that four journalists have been killed or disappeared since 2020, including Albino Sibia, a 30-year-old blogger shot dead while covering a protest in December 2024, and Joao Chamusse, editor of the online newspaper Ponto por Ponto. AllAfrica, citing a separate count, said five journalists have been killed since the 2023 elections. The discrepancy reflects different time periods and counting methods.

• A legal complaint by ANAMOLA documents six cases of "death squads" targeting opposition members, per AllAfrica. This claim has not been independently confirmed.

• Mondlane accuses the government, police, and judiciary of being "at least partly responsible" for the violence against his supporters, as quoted by DW.

Perspectives

Government and security forces: Official statements have been limited. Police described Anselmo Vicente’s killing as occurring as he returned from a party meeting, but no official investigation has been disclosed. Mondlane’s accusations of state complicity remain unaddressed by authorities.

Opposition and civil society: Venancio Mondlane and ANAMOLA argue that the violence is systematic political repression. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch as cited by AllAfrica, say authorities have failed to conduct credible investigations into the post-election killings.

Journalists and press freedom groups: Reporters covering the unrest say they face targeted violence. Slaide Muthemba of the Media Institute of Southern Africa told RFI that despite a legal complaint filed after the election, "nothing has happened" since a February 2025 hearing.

International observers: The Forbidden Stories consortium and outlets like RFI frame the violence as part of a broader crackdown on dissent in a country ruled by one party since independence. DW notes that allegations of death squads date back to the civil war era.

As of this writing, no independent investigation has been published, and most claims rely on witness testimony and party statements. The full picture remains incomplete, but the pattern of killings and disappearances is well-documented across multiple sources.