Maputo — Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano has said that the current trial of six men accused of the November 2000 murder of the country's top investigative journalist, Carlos Cardoso, is a clear example of his government's commitment to consolidating the rule of law.

Chissano, speaking on Friday night at the traditional end of year reception for the diplomatic corps accredited in Maputo, said that the trial shows that Mozambican judicial institutions in fact exercise the independence which the law confers on them.

He said that the trial of the six accused shows that the government has complied with the promises made at Cardoso's funeral, on 24 November 2000.

At the funeral, Chissano himself pledged that the authorities would work to hunt down the killers "so that they will have no opportunity to hide behind any legal or other artifice. We shall all work towards this".

"We shall not bring the body of Carlos Cardoso back to life", the President added then. "But we shall do everything to bring about justice".

Friday's remarks were Chissano's first public statement on the trial since 19 November. Then, on the trial's second day, the name of his oldest son, Nyimpine, was mentioned, in the first of many accusations that he was involved in the murder.

Chissano, through his press attache Antonio Matonse, took the position then that he would not comment on the trial, since he did not wish to be interpreted as attempting to influence its outcome. The President told the diplomats that, despite enormous efforts and costly resources invested in fighting crime, the country remains plagued by organised crime, which, in alliance with corruption, is undermining the normal functioning of Mozambican institutions.

But he insisted that, despite their onslaughts against public tranquillity and security, the criminals would not overcome the determination of the authorities to pursue them, arrest them, and bring them to justice. On the struggle against international terrorism, Chissano said that the government has not only ratified the 12 United Nations conventions on the subject, but has submitted to the UN its report on the legislative measures taken to prevent and combat terrorism.

But he warned that effective implementation of these legal instrument depends on support from the international community, in helping strengthen Mozambique's financial, judicial and police systems.

Turning to international matters, Chissano called for an end to any sanctions against the ZANU-PF regime in Zimbabwe. "We always said that the isolation of Zimbabwe was counter- productive, not only for that country but for the entire SADC (Southern African Development Community) region", he said.

"Judging by the facts, we can assert today with no room for error, that we were right".