Mozambican politician Venâncio Mondlane on Monday called for an independent investigation into the killing of Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe, which took place two years ago in Maputo, accusing the authorities of instrumentalising the justice system and failing to solve the case.
In a message published on social media to mark the second anniversary of the double murder of his supporters in central Maputo, Mondlane called for those who carried out and masterminded the crime to be held accountable and renewed his appeal for inclusive national dialogue to restore constitutional order and democratic legitimacy.
“We continue to demand an independent and credible investigation into the murder of Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe, and accountability for those who carried out and masterminded it,” he said, reiterating that he would continue to defend his positions through peaceful and legal means.
In the message, Mondlane criticised the absence of definitive accountability for the crime, which he described as a test of the country’s ability to defend democracy and human rights.
Elvino Dias, a lawyer and legal adviser to Mondlane, and Paulo Guambe, national representative of the Optimist People for the Development of Mozambique party (Podemos), were shot dead in Maputo on the night of 18–19 October 2024, when the vehicle they were travelling in was intercepted by armed men.
The crime, which remains unsolved, took place amid strong protests against the results of the 2024 general elections, triggering a wave of indignation followed by around five months of protests across the country, marked by clashes with police, more than 400 deaths and incidents involving the destruction and looting of public and private property.
In April this year, the Attorney-General, Américo Letela, announced the arrest of two people out of three suspects questioned as part of the investigation, acknowledging “major challenges” due to the existence of several lines of inquiry.
Also on Monday, several dozen lawyers gathered at the crime scene in central Maputo to pay tribute to the victims and demand clarification of the circumstances surrounding their deaths, in an initiative organised by the Mozambican Bar Association.
The association’s president, Thera Dai, said the organisation would continue to press the authorities to solve the case and regretted that Elvino Dias’s belongings had still not been returned to his family. She also argued that lawyers must be able to practise their profession independently and without coercion.
Meanwhile, the Mozambican Network of Human Rights Defenders expressed concern over the absence of any publicly known conclusive judicial clarification of the case, calling on the authorities to release concrete information on the progress of the investigations.
The organisation recalled that the police initially linked the crime to alleged crimes of passion, while the Attorney-General connected the case in April this year to proceedings involving the late Nini Satar. In the network’s view, the existence of different lines of inquiry requires clarification of the evidence supporting them.
In his message, Mondlane also argued that impunity for crimes of this nature undermines public trust in institutions and the country’s stability.
“There can be no stability without justice, and there can be no justice without freedom,” he said, reiterating the need for national dialogue without preconditions and calling for the defence of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Mozambique.
