Mozambique: At least ten individuals were killed by police, and many others were injured during a crackdown on unrest following Mozambique’s presidential election, according to two medical organizations. The country prepared for further demonstrations on Thursday, amid opposition claims that the election was fraudulent and concerns raised by international observers.
On October 24, Daniel Chapo from the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique was declared the election winner, solidifying the Frelimo party’s nearly 50-year dominance since Mozambique’s independence from Portugal in 1975. Chapo is set to succeed President Filipe Nyusi, who is completing his constitutionally mandated two terms.
Mozambique security forces use lethal response
Frelimo has faced consistent accusations of electoral fraud, and Mozambique’s security forces have been criticized for their lethal responses to protests in the past. Opposition groups alleged that fraud occurred on election day, while a subsequent European Union report noted irregularities in the vote counting and alterations in some results.
Tensions escalated in the lead-up to and immediate aftermath of the October 9 election. This unrest intensified following the assassination of two senior officials from an opposition party in Maputo on October 18, where they were ambushed by unknown gunmen who reportedly fired 25 shots at their vehicle. Many in Mozambique viewed these killings as politically motivated; one victim was a lawyer and advisor to Venancio Mondlane, the main opposition candidate.
Between October 18 and October 26, ten people died from gunshot wounds and 63 others were injured during protests, as reported by the Medical Association of Mozambique and the Mozambique Order of Doctors. The head of the Order of Doctors remarked to local media that police appeared to have acted with lethal intent in most fatal shootings.
Police opens fire on a peaceful opposition rally
Human Rights Watch provided a separate count, stating that 11 fatalities occurred and more than 50 individuals suffered serious gunshot injuries during the protests, calling for an investigation into what it described as an excessive use of force.
Amnesty International reported that police also opened fire on a peaceful opposition rally in Nampula on October 16, injuring at least one person, and claimed that protesters were repeatedly attacked during the post-election demonstrations.
Protesters engaged in activities such as burning tires and blocking roads in various cities, prompting authorities to label some of the unrest as violent and necessary to suppress. Police spokesperson Orlando Mudumane informed state-run Radio Mozambique that the situation had become “relatively calm and controlled.”
Opposition leader Mondlane has called for a new week of protests starting on Thursday.
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