A group of one hundred people marched on Friday in the city of Beira (Sofala), in protest against kidnappings of businessmen and their families. The march of repudiation against this type of crime occurred two days after the kidnapping of a young 19-year-old student in broad daylight in that city.

This type of march is often repressed by the Mozambican authorities, but this one had a police escort.

"Each one of us lives in terror, terrified and unsettled, fearing for our turn. In the student community, we question who is next, not who is to blame," said Sayfallah Karim, a student representative at the march that also brought together teachers and business people.

In a crime assessment presented earlier this month, the Attorney General, Beatriz Buchili, said that kidnapping crimes have been on the rise and criminal groups have cross-border ramifications, maintaining cells in countries like South Africa.

The cities where these crimes occur the most are the capital Maputo and Beira.