The Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD) received a courtesy visit today, October 29, 2025, from His Excellency Mateus Saize, Minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs.

The ministerial delegation, composed, in addition to the minister, of Dr. Ilídio Miguel, Director-General of the National Penitentiary Service (SERNAP); Dr. Cláudio Mate, National Director of Human Rights and Citizenship; and advisors Dr. Maria Rungo and Dr. Yolanda Goma, was received by the Executive Director of the CDD, Prof. Adriano Nuvunga. The meeting took place in an atmosphere of cordiality and open dialogue, focusing on issues of human rights, access to justice, citizenship, and the general situation of the country.

During the meeting, Professor Nuvunga expressed the honor of the CDD in receiving the Minister, highlighting the areas of cooperation already existing between the CDD and the Ministry of Justice. In turn, Minister Mateus Saíze explained that the visit aimed to reciprocate the recent courtesy visit made by the CDD to the Ministry, reinforcing the mutual commitment to institutional cooperation.

On that occasion, Professor Nuvunga presented some concerns from civil society, namely the deaths that occurred in prisons in December 2024, the episodes of violence during demonstrations, and the lack of accountability in cases such as the Mossuril shipwreck in Nampula province. He also mentioned the alleged homicides associated with the TotalEnergies project in Afungi, appealing for a greater role from the Ministry in defending human rights. The Minister, as head of the State’s Justice and Human Rights sector, not only showed himself receptive to the issues raised but also promised to follow up, reiterating the Government’s openness to maintaining a constructive and continuous dialogue with civil society, with a view to promoting accountability, access to justice, and respect for human rights in Mozambique.