The Denis Hurley Peace institute Director, Johan Viljoen, and Mickaël Repellin, the African Program Coordinator of the Franciscans International, are to moderate an online briefing of the human rights crisis in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.

The briefing is to take place in the afternoon of Monday 26^th September 2022. The program will be focused on the recent increase of insecurity in the province and its consequences for human rights. They will also look at the situation of displaced persons in the camps in Cabo Delgado and neighbouring province, together with the recent developments on the issue of natural resources exploration and its impacts on human rights.

It is reported that the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Cabo Delgado province is of particular concern today, as evidenced by the recent attack on 6 September 2022 in Chipene, Nampula, which resulted in the deaths of several civilians, including Maria de Coppi, an Italian nun. The event, which drew the attention of the international community, again shows that the situation is worsening as terrorism begins to spread outside Cabo Delgado province.

Although Mozambique accepted eight recommendations to improve the situation in the region during its 2021 Universal Periodic Review, the government has not been able to contain the expansion of the crisis. Following the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ global update of 12 September 2022, it now seems appropriate to further discuss the situation at the level of the Human Rights Council as a matter of urgency.

This briefing aims to inform the international community of the reality of the humanitarian and human rights situation in Cabo Delgado and its close links with the exploration of natural resources in the region. At the briefing the speakers will include Bishop Dom Alberto Vera, the Bishop of Nacala and President of Caritas Mozambique; Professor Salvador Forquilha of Instituto de Estudos Sociais e Económicos, Mozambique; Mr. Antonio Muagerene, the Program Officer of Caritas Archdiocesan of Nampula; and Mr. Daniel Ribeiro Justiça Ambiental.

There will be a bilingual interpretation in English and Portuguese for those who want to be part of the briefing online. Please register at https://bit.ly/FI26Sept2022