Mahamudo Amurane, the mayor of Nampula city in northern Mozambique has been shot dead outside his home.
He was killed hours after he led a ceremony to celebrate the Day of Peace a public holiday to commemorate the 1992 signing of an accord to end a 16-year civil war between the ruling Frelimo party and Renamo opposition. Police says, Mahamudo Amurane was shot three times in the abdomen by an unknown gunman and the motive for the killing is still unclear.
Late Amurane was a member of the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement who planned to run for a second term in next year’s municipal elections for another party or as an independent.
Reacting to his death, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for Southern Africa Deprose Muchena said: ‘the killing of Mahamudo Amurane is tragic, deplorable and deeply suspicious. Mozambique authorities must launch a prompt, thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation into this killing, make public the report of any such investigation, and ensure that suspected perpetrators are brought to justice in a fair trial’.
