Mozambique Soldiers Dump Bodies in Mass Graves, Amnesty Says

(Bloomberg) -- Mozambique’s armed forces torture detainees and have disposed of many bodies in apparent mass graves as they fight an insurgency linked to Islamic State in an area rich in natural gas, Amnesty International said.

The London-based organization said in a statement on its website Wednesday that it has verified “gruesome footage” showing crimes against detainees in the northern Cabo Delgado province, and called for an independent investigation into the alleged abuses.

Amnesty’s statement was based on fake videos and pictures, Colonel Omar Saranga, a spokesman for Mozambique’s military, told reporters Thursday. The insurgents use propaganda to blame the government for all atrocities, he said.

“The horrific videos and photos we analyzed are evidence of the serious human-rights violations and shocking violence that has been taking place in Cabo Delgado, away from the international spotlight,” Deprose Muchena, Amnesty’s regional director for East and Southern Africa, said in the statement.

Read More: Total, Mozambique Boost LNG Security to Ward Off Insurgency

More than 1,500 people have died since violence erupted in northern Mozambique three years ago, and at least 250,000 have fled their homes. Government forces are trying to win back control from the insurgents of the port town of Mocimboa da Praia, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from where companies including Total SE plan to liquefy offshore natural-gas reserves for export.

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