Why the death of Professor Gilles Cistac did not come as a surprise

That Gilles Cistac was gunned down in broad daylight did not come as surprise to many Mozambicans. The land has a long and well known history of the government falsely persecuting and murdering opponents for political reason. Even the murder of the first and second Presidents Eduardo Mondlane and Samora Machel are still being debated - a proper investigation haven't been performed, maybe to cover up the involvement of some prominent politician who still runs the country today?

The second President Samora Machel and his party Frelimo did not tolerate any opposition. During his reign many intellectuals and opponents had to flee or end up in concentration camps. Some where even murdered, among them Uria Simango, a well known figure considered to substitute President Eduardo Mondlane.

Another case is José Eugénio Zitha, at that time a student of medicine who disappeared 1975. In 2008, his son Professor Pacelli Zitha and his lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld, presented the case to the African Commission on Human and peoples' rights (ACHPR) against the state of Mozambique. The answer from (ACHPR) was that the case first must be brought to Mozambique court and only when all other possibilities have been extorted the case should then be brought back to them - but who is naive enough to trust in the judiciary system of Mozambique? The President of the Supreme Court is elected by the President of the Republic and together with his staff, not often independent, and regarded by many Mozambicans as Frelimo's Lackeys holding those positions to safeguard the party and politician interests...

Since then the country has seen several assassination of prominent figures, among them the Journalist Carlos Cardoso, the former (CEO) of Austral Bank, António Siba siba Macuaca (who died by being thrown from the 14th floor, after criticising dubious business that took place in the bank) and a lawyer Denis Nhavotso Silica (who was investigating recent cases of kidnapping). Some of those cases have not been properly investigated or solved.

Threats and bullying against outspoken figures like economist Carlos Castel-Branco, the President of Human Right League Alice Mabota, the famous writer Mia Couto and the very popular rapper "Azagaia" has happened - the list goes on and on...

This is reality in Mozambique today - you die or is marginalised for speaking your mind!

Unfortunately the International Community is turning a blind eye to the brutalities committed in this country.
The West is busy condemning Putin while similar things going on in Russia is also happening in this country! But why should they care as long as the Western interests are well protected - gas and coal contracts are being negotiated with expanding international companies without most Mozambicans being a part or getting any share of the riches it brings!

The G8 sanctioned and suspended Russia while at the same time they and the G19 keeps doing business and aiding Mozambique with billions of dollar despite of its human rights record, election fraud, politicised institutions, embezzlement of  millions of dollar of aid money and involvement of politician in criminality (traffic of drugs, ivory, illegal logging and so on) - like the President of Human Right League, Alice Mabota once said: "After eating shrimps the donors are the first to say that the election was free, transparent and fair and ignore all other problem."

As in the many other cases we have no idea if the murders of Gilles Cistac will ever face justice.

The question now is who is next?