From 3 March, the Mozambican National Police (PRM) will be led by a military man, Major General Julio dos Santos Jane, who was appointed to the post by President Filipe Nyusi, to replace Jorge Henrique da Costa Khalau, dismissed on 2 March.
Until his appointment, the new PRM commander was commander of the Mozambican Civic Service a post that he held since 2011.
In 2013 he led a delegation of government defence and security experts, who with a counterpart delegation from the Mozambique National Resistance (Renamo), prepared a meeting between then President Armando Guebuza and Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama.
Previously, Jane was dean of the Marshal Samora Machel Military Academy in Nampula.
Jane replaced Khalau who had been in the post since 17 December 2008, when he was appointed to replace Custodio Pinto, another military man who occupied the post ! for about two years.
Under the law, the PRM’s duty is to uphold law and order, safeguard people’s and goods’ security, public tranquillity, the inviolability of state borders, respect for the democratic law-based state, and citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms. It is organized into five branches: the Protection Police, Traffic Police, Transport and Communications’ Police, Border Guard Police, and Special and Reservist Forces.
Among the challenges facing Jane is the sophistication of criminals who appear to be far more organized than the police and here the criminal investigation sector returns to the limelight, whose restructuring is a consensual imperative among the various justice sectors in Mozambique.
Respect for human rights is another challenge for our police force that continues to be considered in national and international reports as one of the forces that most violates these rights.
