Maputo, May 21, 2025 (Lusa) - The three Mozambican mobile network operators will provide free emergency lines for crime prevention and response, road accidents and other social problems from January 2026, they announced on Wednesday.

"The emergency lines will enable citizens to have quick, efficient, free and barrier-free access to emergency services in crisis situations, regardless of their location or the telephone operator they use," said a statement from the Ministry of the Interior.

The project is part of the Ministry of the Interior's Public Security Management System (SIGESP), which is currently being implemented, and is the result of a memorandum of understanding signed on Tuesday in Maputo with operators Tmcel, Vodacom and Movitel.

According to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Victor Canhemba Júnior, the emergency lines should be "operational from January next year", contributing "significantly to mitigating the harmful impacts of accidents, violence or natural disasters" in Mozambique.

"We know that in emergencies, every second counts, whether it is an accident, an act of violence or a natural disaster. Emergency calls are the first line of connection between citizens in danger and the institutions responsible for rescuing them," said Canhemba Júnior.

PVJ/ADB // ADB.

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