Maputo — The National Forum of Community Radios (FORCOM) has condemned the mayor of the coastal town of Angoche, in the northern Mozambican province of Nampula, for attacks upon journalists of the Parapato Community Radio during its coverage of the start of the general election campaign.

According to a statement from FORCOM, on Saturday, the day the election campaign began, the aide-de-camp of Angoche Mayor Dalila Ussene beat up photojournalist Ussene Mamur and seized his camera - even though Mamur was duly accredited to cover the campaign.

The following day, the Mayor and the local secretary of the ruling Frelimo Party threatened journalist Raisson Joao and seized his working equipment, including his mobile phone.

Joao was covering a traffic accident involving a Frelimo motorcade, in which 16 people were injured and were treated at the Angoche Rural Hospital.

Joao was told he should not broadcast anything about the accident or he would suffer reprisals. He was taken to the district police command, but after several hours he was released, because the commander could see no crime and so no reason to arrest him.

FORCOM said it tried to obtain a comment from the Mayor, but without success.

FORCOM noted that threats, harassment, aggression and intimidation have become a recurrent practice against community radio journalists particularly in election periods. During the 2019 general elections, a reporter from Parapato Community Radio was threatened by armed police because he had reported live on the disappearance of a ballot box.

The FORCOM statement condemned the attitude of the Mayor and of the Frelimo secretary, as a violation of the freedoms of expression and of the press.