Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international non-governmental organization, stated that human rights in Mozambique were severely affected in 2025 by food insecurity, intensified terrorist attacks, and the kidnapping of minors in Cabo Delgado, as well as femicide and the repression of post-election protests in 2024-25. The NGO’s annual report provides an overview of the situation in the country.
According to the document, the conflict in Cabo Delgado intensified last year, causing forced displacement. Many victims were left without access to health services and humanitarian aid, while child abductions increased, highlighting the severity of the crisis in the region since 2017.
“According to the United Nations, more than 95,000 people have fled insecurity in the region, with Chiúre, Ancuabe, and Muidumbe being the most affected. The conflict has hampered access to public health and humanitarian aid. The fighting has led humanitarian organizations to suspend their activities, and demands for ransom and extortion by armed groups have made it difficult for humanitarian workers to move around,” the report reads.
HRW also indicates that terrorist groups have intensified the abduction of children, using them to transport looted goods, for forced labor, and even as combatants against government forces. The violence has spread beyond Cabo Delgado, affecting the stability of local communities and the functioning of institutions.
The report also highlights that post-election violence, which began in late 2024, continued throughout 2025. “Unidentified armed men forcibly detained and shot dead members of the Mozambican opposition, with no criminal accountability to date,” the NGO points out, noting that at least ten members of opposition parties were killed between October 2024 and March 2025.
The violence severely affected children, with security forces killing dozens and detaining hundreds during protests, often without notifying their families, in clear violation of international law. There were also reports of kidnappings and assassination attempts on journalists and social activists, including the temporary detention and seizure of equipment from 16 journalists in Macomia, Cabo Delgado.
The HRW study also points to an increase in gender-based violence, particularly homicides. In September 2025, the Women’s Observatory recorded at least 43 cases of femicide and 42 cases of rape against women and girls. The President of the Republic, Daniel Chapo, called on the police to intensify their efforts to combat femicide, especially in the central region, due to the alarming rates.
Food insecurity also marked 2025, caused by drought linked to the El Niño phenomenon. Agricultural production declined significantly in the provinces of Tete and Manica in the central region, and in Gaza and Inhambane in the south, leaving about 2.1 million people at critical levels of food insecurity between April and September.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an independent international organization with representation in more than 40 countries. It works as part of a global movement to defend human dignity and promote human rights. In addition to defending these rights, the NGO investigates abuses, disseminates the results, and pressures governments to resolve conflicts, according to information provided by the organization itself.
Source: RTP Notícias
