Canada urged to extradite killer

Anibalzinho was serving time for the murder of journalist Carlos Cardoso (pictured)

Mozambique's Foreign Minister Leonardo Simao has said it is trying to have convicted murderer Anibal Antonio dos Santos extradited from Canada.

Dos Santos was serving a 28-year jail term for killing one of Mozambique's top investigative journalists, Carlos Cardoso, when he escaped on 9 May.

He was recaptured by Interpol at Toronto airport.

Mr Simao told the BBC he was optimistic that Dos Santos would be returned to Mozambique.

There is no extradition treaty between the two countries.

Dos Santos - better known as Anibalzinho - previously escaped while awaiting trial in September 2002, and was only caught a year later in South Africa.

Mozambique's attorney-general's office said last week that the fugitive made his latest escape with police help and an inquiry was under way, Reuters news agency reported.

'Accomplices'

Anibalzinho was convicted in absentia of leading the death squad that assassinated Cardoso in November 2000 - described as Mozambique's worst-ever murder.

He was serving his 28-year sentence in a prison in the capital, Maputo. Five co-defendants were also convicted and are serving lengthy sentences.

Cardoso was investigating the 1996 disappearance of $14m from a commercial bank when he was killed.

The Interior Ministry said the circumstances of Anibalzinho's latest disappearance were not known.

However, a daily independent newssheet in Maputo, Mediafax, cited an anonymous prison source as saying that Anibalzinho was taken out of the jail by accomplices.