By Jamal Jamal
LILONGWE, Malawi (AA) – The leader of Mozambique’s opposition Democratic Revolution (DR) party was abducted early Friday in the city of Beira in the Sofala province, his lawyer said.
Vitano Singano was taken by six unidentified individuals, and his current whereabouts remain unknown, lawyer Sergio Matsimhe told reporters.
“We can’t even tell why he has been abducted,” Matsimhe said. “We have intensified efforts to locate where he could be found. We are very much worried about his state of health. Here is a man who was released from prison in May. This level of torture is too much to bear.”
Matsimhe declined to speculate on whether the alleged abduction was politically motivated.
Singano was arrested last year for allegedly leading a conspiracy against state security, which authorities claimed included an attempted invasion of the official residence of Mozambique’s president. He was held for seven months at the country’s civil prison before being released in May without formal charges.
Kidnapping remains a serious concern in Mozambique. Interior Minister Paul Chachine recently told parliament that the country has recorded about 210 kidnappings since 2011, including cases this year.