MISA Mozambique criticizes the proposal to sentence to prison from 12 to 16 years those who disclose classified information, considering that the norm will "penalize journalism" and "citizens in general and not those who have the duty to safeguard the State secret.

"Despite being a timely instrument and whose approval will increase the safeguard of national sovereignty, this amended proposal of the law contemplates provisions that conflict with the Constitution of the Republic and other legislation, especially in the chapter on freedom of expression and press," notes MISA quoted by Lusa.

According to the NGO, the person who should be sanctioned for violation of state secrecy is the public servant or official holding classified information, not journalists or citizens with no ties to the state.

On another point, he criticizes the bill for stating that "anyone who intentionally disseminates information that a terrorist act has been or is likely to be committed, knowing the information to be false, shall be punished by imprisonment for 8 to 12 years.

"This provision is rather subjective and subject to various interpretations as to the notion of falsity of the information broadcast about a presumed terrorist action," the NGO notes.

The proposed revision comes at a time when Cabo Delgado province is terrorized (since 2017) by armed rebels, with some attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.

There are 784,000 internally displaced people due to the conflict, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and about 4,000 deaths, according to the ACLED conflict registration project.

Since July 2021, an offensive by government troops, with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has allowed areas where there was a rebel presence to recover.