In protest against the election results… 125 dead are the result of unrest in Mozambique
Despite concerns from international observers about irregularities in the October 9 elections, the Mozambican Constitutional Court confirmed the victory of Daniel Chapo, the candidate of the Mozambique Liberation Front, which has ruled the country since 1975, with 65.17% of the votes.
This announcement sparked opposition protests, which often turned into confrontations with the police, including the burning of buildings and the looting of major stores.
Violence in Mozambique
On Tuesday evening, the government announced that 21 people had been killed in the last 24 hours in several major cities in the country located in the southern part of Africa.
On Wednesday, National Police Chief Bernardino Rafael reported that hundreds of prisoners had escaped from a prison near the capital, Maputo, noting that clashes had taken place with prison officers, during which at least 33 prisoners were killed.
Death toll
The non-governmental organization Plataforma Deeside announced Thursday that the death toll had reached 125 since Monday, bringing the total death toll since the outbreak of violence in October to 252.
The organization added that more than four thousand people have been arrested since October due to the demonstrations, including 137 in the past three days.
Unrest in Mozambique
Chapo’s main rival, exiled opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, says the election was rigged.
On Thursday, Mondlane accused security forces of encouraging the recent unrest and looting to allow authorities to declare a state of emergency and crush the protests.
Some barriers around the capital were dismantled on Thursday, but many remained in place, limiting traffic, according to an AFP correspondent in Maputo. Public transportation has also been suspended.
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