Namibian leader 'regrets' Mozambique body-burning video

Namibian President Hage Geingob has condemned a “disturbing video” appearing to show soldiers who are part of the regional forces in Mozambique setting ablaze corpses.

The widely shared clip shows soldiers throwing a corpse on to the side of a bonfire of burning rubbish; one of them then throws liquid over the body and the flames spread.

Mr Geingob, who heads the security organ of the southern African regional group Sadc, in a statement said "we have noted the incident with regret”.

He said the leadership of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (Samim) had launched investigations into the matter and would share the results once completed.

“I further wish to categorically underscore that [the regional bloc] Sadc does not condone acts reflected in the video and, once the investigations are completed, [it] will take appropriate measures,” he said.

In the video, two men in army fatigues holding mobile phones appear to be filming the fire, and one of them has the South African flag on his uniform.

On Tuesday, the South African National Defence Force – whose troops are members of part of the regional force in Mozambique – condemned the incidents in the video and said it had already commenced investigations.

This article originally appeared in BBC News

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