Kagame, Chapo hail good relations as Rwanda, Mozambique sign new agreements
The vehicle that transported Frelimo members in Milange, seen here after the crash. [Image: CIP]
The second week of the election campaign was marked by three road accidents that resulted in two deaths and more than 100 injured. On Wednesday (4 September) the driver of a bus carrying 100 Frelimo supporters lost control and the bus crashed. The district director of Health and Social Action in Milange confirmed that 93 injured patients had been admitted to Milange Hospital. One of them died in hospital. Three are in a serious condition and have been transferred to Quelimane Central Hospital. The bus was returning from a rally for Frelimo Presidential candidate Daniel Chapo. The crash happened on the Milange-Majaua road, and it is alleged the driver had been drinking.
The other two crashes occurred on Monday and Wednesday (2 and 4 September) in Manica. The first accident, which resulted in the death of one person, took place in the locality of Sembezeia, in Sussundenga. The side of the open-top vehicle opened and some Frelimo supporters fell off the truck. The second involved a car from Central Mavuze, in Manica, which overturned when the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing one serious injury and several minor injuries.
Friday and Saturday were tense in some districts of Niassa, where Podemos candidate Venâncio Mondlane travelled. On Friday, members of Frelimo campaigned where a rally for candidate Venâncio Mondlane was planned. The parties clashed. This Saturday, clashes broke out in Mecanhelas for the same reasons.
The CIP correspondents in Ancuabe has again been detained by police, as happened twice during the voter registration. The police claim that the CIP correspondent should present a credential and do not recognise the badge issued by the Cabo Delgado Provincial STAE. The CIP correspondent was released after a few hours.
A CIP correspondent in Maputo city has denounced strange visits of police members and soldiers. Since the municipal elections, members of the police have appeared at his workplace with the allegation that they want to collaborate with it. In June four police agents and officials of the Defence Ministry appeared, on the pretext of wanting to learn something about the area.
A group of insurgents Wednesday (4 September) invaded the Nguri irrigation scheme, in Miangaleua, Chitunda, Muidumbe. They stole foodstuffs such as fish, maize and rice. They forced more than 20 of the residents to help them carry the looted goods to their destination. The kidnapped villagers walked with the terrorists all night to the place where they were ordered to leave the goods. All the kidnapped civilians were released in the morning and have now returned to their homes.
Since August it has been difficult to reach parts of Muidumbe district because of insurgent actions. The regions where access is difficult are Miangaleua, Xitaxi, Chitunda and Criação, which are located alongside National Highway No. 1 (EN1). In this place the terrorists have planted land mines. Two vehicles, one a car of the Mahindra brand belonging to the police, and the other a truck transporting civilians, have set off mines in that area. The situation has obliged transport operators to abandon the Pemba-Awasse route, and use instead the longer Pemba-Montepuez route, which gives access to Mueda, Nangade, Palma, Mocímboa and the Muidumbe district capital.
The situation in Mocímboa da Praia is deteriorating. Last Wednesday (4 September) at 07.00 the insurgents captured a woman and her three children in the village of Mangoma, who were later set free. But on Thursday bodies were found floating, tied to each other.
The Podemos delegate in Mocímboa da Praia is missing. He left Mocímboa da Praia on 1 September heading for the districts of Palma and Nangade, but has not made contact since.
Three young man in Tambara, Manica province, told CIP Eleições that each received 10,000 meticais ($150) to abandon the MDM and join Frelimo. Two did indeed leave the MDM and were presented to the public by the district administrator. But the third took his money and went to Malawi.
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