The Muslim Association of Sofala (AMS) reiterates its call for clear and effective action in the fight against kidnappings, a phenomenon whose main victims are businesspeople from this community and their families.

The request was made by AMS spokesman Idrisse Charfudine in the city of Beira, on the occasion of the "Eid ul-fitr" celebrations, an event that marks the end of the period dedicated to fasting, according to "Notícias".

The source expressed sadness and concern, bearing in mind that kidnappings often take place in areas with a high flow of people, during rush hour, particularly in Maputo city.

"We always have lectures in the mosques, where our leaders teach the people how to live in tranquility and maintain peace. Our religion embraces everyone. That's why we want cities free of kidnappings and other evils. We are demonstrating to demand that our state fight crime effectively throughout the country," he said, as quoted by the newspaper.

According to the source, kidnapping is a serious crime, committed with extreme physical and psychological violence against the victim, especially the use of firearms, as well as brutal psychological and moral coercion against the victim's family and loved ones.

He said that for several years now, Mozambique has been plagued by a growing wave of kidnappings of defenseless citizens, with a special preference for businesspeople or their families, and many of the cases go unsolved.

"We feel that there is a lack of interest on the part of the police and security authorities in solving the problem of kidnappings. Kidnappings terrorize Mozambican citizens. The criminals carry out their operations in broad daylight, armed with firearms, with their faces exposed, without any fear and this shows that we are at a very high level of criminality and impunity," he said.

He also demanded immediate and efficient measures to guarantee the safety and freedom of citizens, criticizing the inertia of the authorities to solve the problem.

"We have always been open to collaborating with the authorities to combat this type of crime and ensure social well-being and peaceful coexistence. These are jobs that are shrinking because entrepreneurs are fleeing the country. We demand that immediate and efficient measures be taken to guarantee freedom, security and the minimum of citizenship, because fundamental rights are being jeopardized by the inertia of the competent authorities," he said.

These crimes took place in the cities of Beira, Maputo, Chimoio and Quelimane, from 2020 to 2022, with the main victims being economic agents and their families.