- Catholic and Lutheran organisations are accusing Mozambican authorities of "indifference" regarding investigations into the murder of Lutheran missionary Doraci Edinger. The murder case is allegedly connected to "an organ trafficking ring" in Nampula in northern Mozambique. Ms Edinger and Catholic nuns have denounced the organ trafficking, which they claim is not taken seriously by authorities.
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) yesterday expressed its concern over "apparent delays" in the investigation of Ms Edinger and requested the Mozambican authorities that a thorough inquiry be "carried out expeditiously and the perpetrators be brought to justice."
The body of Ms Edinger, a 53-year-old Lutheran missionary born in Brazil, was found on 23 February in her Nampula apartment. The Brazilian missionary on several occasions had expressed concern about her safety, in particular since she had supported Catholic nuns in their investigations into organ and child trafficking.
Late last year, Brazilian Catholic missionary Maria Elilda dos Santos denounced international organ trafficking in the Nampula region. She presented a dossier to the Mozambican Human Rights League, describing groups of people who allegedly kill poor children in order to sell their organs to South Africans. Since Ms Elilda went public, she, her colleague nuns at the Matter Dei monastery and other helpers, such as Ms Edinger, started receiving repeated threats.
A link between the killing of Ms Edinger and the organ trafficking ring has yet to be proven. Nevertheless, clerics are concerned. According to LWF General Secretary Péri Rasolondraibe, the Federation is "concerned also by the circumstances of this crime." The LWF leader urges Mozambican Interior Minister Almerino Manhenje to look into the case as he doesn't trust local investigators.
Catholic and Lutheran clerics in Nampula province have learned to fear local police since the organ traffic issue was brought up by Ms Elilda - many of their statements more than indicate that they believe Nampula police officers to be involved in the trafficking ring.
The first case of a child's organs removed for trafficking was investigated by Ms Elilda - a 12-year-old girl who had disappeared in October 2002. Her body was found with no heart, lungs or kidneys. The police were notified but failed to carry out any investigations. Nampula authorities ordered to have the body buried and the case was filed. Ms Elilda and five children subsequently received death threats and had to seek refuge in the monastery. Due to lack of protection, she has now returned to Brazil.
The mostly Spanish nuns at Matter Dei monastery however have defied death threats and carried on with the documentation of the Nampula organ trafficking ring. The nuns have gathered new testimonies from alleged victims of the network who had managed to escape, including photographs of dead children with missing organs. Only last month, four nuns narrowly escape an armed ambush after presenting the evidence to the authorities.
Following the clerics' investigations, Mozambique's Assistant Attorney-General, Rafael Sebastiăo, started looking into the case. However, on 25 February, he said that a preliminary investigation had found "no evidence" that human organs had ever been removed from bodies and sold. Forensic specialists had investigated 14 dead bodies but found nothing supporting the allegations.
Today, eight Catholic clerics in a letter published by the Portuguese daily 'Diario de Noticias' said they were left with no other possibility than presenting the case to Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano. "The existence of an organ trafficking ring is undeniable," the clerics said, yet local authorities were not doing anything.
Also the murder case of Ms Edinger is only moving slowly ahead. By now, six people have been arrested in the murder case, but Mozambican authorities refuse to give information on their identity. Attorney General Joaquim Madeira this week declined comment on a possible link between the missionary's death and the alleged organ trafficking ring, saying: "Let the investigators do their work first."
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