Mozambique: Attack on Mondlane ally ‘political intolerance’ – parties

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Mozambique: Attack on Mondlane ally ‘political intolerance’ – parties

8:07 CAT | 16 Apr 2025

Image via Notícias

Mozambican political parties with parliamentary seats have called the attack on a supporter of Venâncio Mondlane “political intolerance” that jeopardises “pillars of democracy”, and are calling for a police investigation to clarify the case.

“We want to express our disgust and indignation at the use of brutal force to silence the opposition in this country through death squads. This act represents an evident and flagrant demonstration of political intolerance that affects the democratic rule of law, freedom of expression, demonstration and political association,” the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) said in a statement.

Joel Amaral, a musician and supporter of Venâncio Mondlane and the author of songs that mobilised sympathisers in the municipal (2023) and then presidential (2024) election campaigns, was shot in the head on Sunday in the city of Quelimane, in Zambézia province, in the centre of the country.

Amaral, who is under “intensive care and evolving well”, according to the health authorities, was shot by unknown assailants in the Cualane 2 neighbourhood.

The Democratic Movement of Mozambique Party questions the openness to dialogue aimed at state reforms following this incident, pointing out that the attack demonstrates ‘political insensitivity’ and accusing the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) of using force to “perpetuate itself in power”.

The Optimistic People for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos) party also repudiated the attack, labelling it a “macabre movement” by those fighting to halt the country’s development.

“Podemos will do everything it can to ensure that the masterminds of these evil actions are found and exemplarily judged,” it promised in a statement.

The Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) also categorised the shooting of the young musician as “a very serious act of political intolerance”, saying that it calls into question the pillars of democracy and fundamental freedoms.

“This is a crime that violates the commitment signed by all the political parties and approved as law by the Parliament (…) We can no longer accept that dissenting or critical voices are silenced through violence,” said Renamo, calling for a “swift and impartial” investigation.

For its part, Frelimo expressed ‘concern’ and “strongly repudiates this act, and therefore urges the appropriate authorities to investigate and clarify the case, as well as calling on the general public to co-operate and not allow themselves to be manipulated”.

A Comissão Política da #Frelimo acompanhou com “preocupação” a informação sobre o baleamento de Joel Amaral, de acordo com o novo porta-voz, Pedro Guiliche. O partido condena o acto com veemência e insta as autoridades competentes a investigarem e esclarecerem o caso, disse. pic.twitter.com/gu5FbU5aOU

— Alexandre Nhampossa (@AllexandreMZ) April 14, 2025

On Monday, Mondlane threatened to call for protests ‘100 times worse’ if the ‘political persecution’ of his supporters continues. The former presidential candidate, who rejects the results of the October 9 elections, has led the worst contestation of the election results the country has seen since the first multiparty elections (1994) over the last five months, with protests in which around 390 people lost their lives in clashes with the police, according to data from civil society organisations, also degenerating into looting and destruction of businesses and public infrastructure.

The Mozambican government previously confirmed at least 80 deaths, as well as the destruction of 1,677 commercial establishments, 177 schools and 23 health centres during the demonstrations.

Shortly after the 2024 general elections, Venâncio Mondlane’s legal advisor, the well-known lawyer Elvino Dias, and a leader of Podemos, Paulo Cuambe, the party supporting his presidential candidacy, were shot dead on the night of 18 October in an ambush on the car they were travelling in in the centre of Maputo, with machine-gun fire, in a crime that caused a stir in Mozambican society and is still unexplained

. The Mozambican president also reacted to the attack on Joel Amaral, labelling the act an “affront to democracy” and calling for a “full investigation”.

Source: Lusa