Wednesday, June 10Wednesday, June 10Mozambique’s government faces fresh scrutiny over a widening crackdown on press freedom after a new investigation revealed systematic efforts to silence independent journalists, including arson attacks and death threats against reporters covering alleged terror recruitment networks.
The investigation, published Tuesday by Forbidden Stories, documents how Mozambique’s security apparatus has targeted journalists investigating extremist activity in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, where an Islamist insurgency has raged since 2017. Sources within the country’s media sector, speaking on condition of anonymity, describe a climate of fear where reporters face intimidation, legal harassment, and violent attacks for publishing critical reports.
The findings come amid escalating violence against journalists in Mozambique, where at least three reporters have been killed in the past 18 months. In one case cited by the investigation, an unidentified journalist’s vehicle was set ablaze in Maputo last March, while another reporter survived a machete attack in Pemba after publishing an exposé on local officials’ alleged ties to militant groups. Authorities have denied involvement, attributing the attacks to “criminal elements.”
The crackdown mirrors broader regional trends, with Mozambique ranking 142nd out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 Press Freedom Index—a drop of 12 places since 2023. Civil society groups warn that the government’s use of anti-terror laws to prosecute journalists is chilling investigative reporting. “When the state conflates security concerns with press freedom, the result is self-censorship,” said a spokesperson for the Mozambican Association of Journalists .
The investigation also highlights Mozambique’s role as a testing ground for digital repression, with journalists reporting hacked phones and coordinated online smear campaigns. A 2025 report by the Committee to Protect Journalists found that Mozambique’s cybercrime unit had issued at least 47 legal requests to social media platforms to remove critical content in the past year alone.
International observers are calling for urgent action. The European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell, is expected to raise the issue during his visit to Maputo next month, while the U.S. State Department has flagged Mozambique’s press freedom violations in its latest human rights report. “The silence of the international community is complicit,” said a senior editor at *Savana*, one of Mozambique’s last independent newspapers, which has seen its circulation drop by 60% since 2024 due to advertising boycotts linked to government pressure .
For now, journalists in Mozambique continue to work under threat. “We are not just reporting the news,” said one reporter who requested anonymity. “We are fighting to keep the truth alive.”
Stromausfall in Reutlingen: Ermittler prüfen Hinweise auf Brandstiftung in Umspannwerk Nach dem Stromausfall in Reutlingen gehen die Behörden dem Verdacht auf einen Brandanschlag nach. Staatsschutz und Antiterrorzentrum ermitteln. Noch sind keine Hinweise auf Täter oder Motiv bekannt.
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🔴🇲🇿 [New investigation] #MozambiqueExposed: Inside the machinery silencing journalists in Mozambique. 👉 While Mozambique remains largely under the radar of international media, the country is facing a deepening crackdown on press freedom.
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Våldssekt hejade på när 15-åring brände bilar En skånsk 15-åring brände ner två garagelängor och mer än 30 fordon brandskadades. Sedan skröt han på internet om att han legat bakom terror.Nu börjar rättegången mot pojken som ingått i ett våldsbejakande nätverk.
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