Maputo - One of Mozambique’s most prominent constitutional lawyers, Gilles Cistac, was assassinated by unknown gunmen in central Maputo on Tuesday.
Cistac, who taught at the law faculty of Eduardo Mondlane University, was shot at about 8.30am.
He had been taking his habitual morning coffee at a snack bar on a busy thoroughfare in the centre of the city.
He called for a taxi to take him to the Administrative Tribunal (the body responsible for checking the legality of state expenditure) where he planned to work.
As he got into the taxi, another vehicle drew up with four men inside. Witnesses described them as three black men and a white man.
The latter opened fire on Cistac at point blank range.
Cistac managed to crawl out of the cab and collapsed on the street.
Bystanders realised he was still breathing and rushed him to the hospital.
Doctors operated on Cistac, but failed to save his life. He had been hit by at least three bullets.
Hospital director Joao Fumane said he had suffered severe injuries to the thorax and abdomen.
When news of the attack reached President Filipe Nyusi, he interrupted the weekly meeting of the council of ministers (cabinet) he was chairing to discuss the shooting and the government’s reaction.
Presidential spokesman Antonio Gaspar said Nyusi had instructed the ministry of the interior to hunt down the criminals as quickly as possible. He described the shooting as “a macabre act, which the government condemns vehemently”.
The motive for the assassination is not known, but connected to the libellous and hate-filled campaign against Cistac on social media.
Cistac had been accused of working for the main opposition party, Renamo.
He came under fire after arguing that the constitution would allow the creation of “autonomous provinces” called for by Afonso Dhlakama, leader of the former rebel movement.
Last week Cistac announced his intention to take legal action against one of those who had libelled him on Facebook. The man, using the name “Calado Calachnicov”, called him a “French spy” and suggested that he had obtained Mozambican nationality fraudulently.
Cistac was originally a French citizen, but acquired Mozambican nationality by naturalisation. He had worked in Mozambique since 1993 and most of his work was with successive governments.
Independent Foreign Service