Maputo — The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Maputo has denied claims of abuses against Mozambican members of staff that were published on Tuesday by the independent newssheet "Carta de Mocambique".

A letter from the Embassy sent to AIM said that "everything mentioned in the paper is not true and consists of unfounded allegations".

One allegation was true - the Embassy did ban workers' relatives from bringing them food (other than tins), but this was a measure to prevent the spread of the respiratory disease Covid-19 in the Embassy "and this is in the interest of everyone".

The letter said the embassy had provided all its staff "with the necessary protective materials (masks, sterilisation material and disinfectants), and the wearing of masks is obligatory, without discrimination between members of the diplomatic mission and locally hired staff, and it is obvious that the virus does not discriminate between one functionary and another".

The Embassy strongly rejected the use of the term "slavery" by the anonymous workers, saying that slavery "contradicts the principles of Islam and the social values of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia".