Policing and the rule of law in Mozambique

Policing concerns a central issue of democracy, namely the rule of law. It is the rule of law that determines the degree to which political and human rights are enjoyed equally. Unlike the established democracies, Mozambique is trying to establish the rule of law after it has introduced democracy. This article examines how successful it has been in the area of democratic policing. Not surprisingly, given the legacy of the civil war and the one-party state, plus limited resources, the exercise is faltering. At present, the conduct of the police is not consistently subject to the rule of law, nor are they adequately accountable, accessible, impartial, representative or transparent. It will be very difficult to achieve backwards democratization in this area unless resources are channelled into strengthening police capacity and there is the political will to impose change.