Maputo — A mob killed a police sergeant in Angoche district, in the northern Mozambican province of Nampula on Saturday, during a riot provoked by rumours claiming that health staff are spreading cholera.

This is the latest in a string of disturbances caused by deliberate disinformation about the origins of cholera. Last Wednesday two activists of the Mozambique Red Cross were murdered at Quinga, in the neighbouring district of Mogincual, while they were on a mission to explain to the public how to disinfect water before drinking it.

According to a report in the Beira daily paper "Diario De Mocambique", on Saturday, the violence spread to Angoche, and a mob attacked the health centre in the locality of Sangage. Five policemen were sent to protect the health workers, and became a target for the protestors.

Armed with spears, knives and similar weapons, the mob almost disemboweled sergeant Basilio Saide. He died as he was being transported to Angoche Rural Hospital.

The head of operations in the Angoche police command, Momade Muze, and a policeman named Ibrahimo Ali, were seriously wounded, and are currently under intensive care in the Angoche hospital.

According to Miguel Bartolomeu, of the public relations department in the Nampula provincial police command, a similar attack occurred on Saturday in Larde administrative post, in Moma district. Here a mob had seized a community leader, accusing him of allowing the spread of cholera.

When the police tried to disperse the crowd they were attacked, and two injured policemen had to be transported urgently to Nampula Central Hospital.

In all these attacks, the mobs have tried to seize guns from the police. The provincial command admits that the police have lost four AK-47 assault rifles in these incidents.