News

More than 100 students of the Law Course at Universidade Pedagógica of Maputo have recently benefited from a lecture on crimes against wildlife.

Among other subjects, the lecture given by consultants in the area, Gildo Espada and David Ucama, dealt with the current Mozambican legal framework on this type of crime, and also discussed the institutional framework, criminal networks and prevalence of crime in the communities.

In general, the students defend a severe application of penalties against poachers, given the devastating effect that crime against biodiversity causes to the environment and the survival of the planet.

There is a need to introduce and intensify the teaching of these contents in the students' education process as a way to increase sensitivity about these matters" Babel Nazaré, final year law student.

This cycle of lectures, which is expected to expand in other faculties of different higher education institutions, is coordinated by USAID through the SPEED Project and aims to increase in future legal and justice professionals the sensitivity and procedural knowledge about wildlife crime.

It should be noted that as part of its efforts to strengthen the capacity of Mozambican justice institutions, USAID and partners have been providing training to Mozambican magistrates on how to handle wildlife crime cases. As a result of this work, two important guidance manuals have already been developed for prosecutors and judges.