The General Command of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) has condemned "the disproportionate and unnecessary actions of four police officers" responsible for the shooting death of a 12-year-old child, Feniasse Jemusse Muchanguera, while she was traveling in a minibus from Maputo to the central province of Manica.

The tragedy occurred on Monday morning (01), in the Bobole region, Marracuene district, along national road number 1 (N1), about 30 kilometers north of the city of Maputo.

As a result of the shooting, after unsuccessful attempts to stop the vehicle in which the minor was traveling in the company of his parents, a police officer deemed responsible for the shooting was captured, beaten and set on fire by a group of angry local residents.

In protest at the killing of the child by the police, members of the public also blocked the highway for several hours.

According to a statement from the General Command, "the other three police officers who escaped the public lynching are in police custody, awaiting a disciplinary process that will lead to their dismissal, while parallel investigations are underway to establish their criminal responsibility."

Meanwhile, the police also called for calm. The statement said that "as we do not tolerate abuses of power, those responsible will be investigated so that incidents like this do not happen again".

(Photo DR)