Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international human rights organization, yesterday called for an investigation into the use of tear gas by Mozambican police during the funeral procession of ?rapper? Azagaia, last Tuesday in Maputo.

The Mozambican authorities must quickly and impartially investigate the use of tear gas by police at the funeral procession of a famous rapper last Tuesday (March 14) in Maputo," Human Rights Watch wrote yesterday. website consulted by MZNews.

 "The Mozambican police must always respect human rights standards for the use of force," added Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, deputy director for Africa at Human Rights Watch, quoted in the statement.

The organization cites UN and African Union guidelines to underscore that the use of force should be a last resort to protect lives and in a manner proportionate to the threat. In the particular case of tear gas, ?it should only be used after a warning has been given and participants have had time to obey the warning and have a safe space or route to move? points out HRW, citing UN guidelines.

Human Rights Watch also says it monitored the developments through the media and a live broadcast on local television station TV Success and saw riot police firing in the air and using tear gas against the crowd to disperse them. A police officer who appeared to be a commander can then be heard shouting, "Stop shooting. Stop shooting. I'm the one giving the orders here."

The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights further reminds us that force should be used as a last resort when it is unavoidable to protect life and must be proportionate and necessary.