Mozambique: At least one dead and 24 arrested in Nampula province this Thursday

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Mozambique: At least one dead and 24 arrested in Nampula province this Thursday

1:31 CAT | 25 Oct 2024

Nampula city, October 24, 2024. [Image: O País]

At least one person died and another 24 were arrested in clashes between police and protesters in Nampula province, in northern Mozambique, on Thursday, an official source announced on Friday.

“During operations to neutralise and disperse individuals who were carrying out robberies, the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) became aware that there was an individual who had been seriously injured. The police allocated a vehicle to assist him. Unfortunately, he lost his life on the way to the hospital,” said Dércio Samuel, the police spokesman in Nampula.

In their assessment of the first day of demonstrations called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, the police noted that 16 people were arrested in the city of Nampula and another eight in the district of Nacala-Porto, totalling 24.

On Tuesday, Mondlane called for two days of nationwide “peaceful” strikes and demonstrations in Mozambique, starting on Thursday.

“We are going to sacrifice two days of our lives so that we can all demonstrate. And we don’t need to inform the police or the municipality,” Mondlane said, adding that “the country must remain at a standstill during these two days”.

On Thursday, the CNE announced the victory of Daniel Chapo, supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) in the election for President of the Republic on October 9, with 70.67% of the votes.

Venâncio Mondlane, supported by the Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos, an extra-parliamentary party), came in second place, with 20.32% (1,412,517 votes).

In third place was Ossufo Momade, president of Renamo, previously the largest opposition party, with 403,591 votes (5.81%), followed by Lutero Simango, president of MDM, with 223,066 votes (3.21%).

Only 43.48% of the more than 17.1 million registered voters cast their ballots in this election.

The general elections of October 9 included the seventh presidential elections – in which the current head of state, Filipe Nyusi, who has reached the limit of two terms, has not run – simultaneously with legislative elections and elections for provincial assemblies and governors.

The announcement of the results made on Thursday by the CNE comes on the first of two days of general strike and demonstrations across the country called by candidate Venâncio Mondlane against this year’s electoral process, which is being marked by clashes between protesters and the police on the main avenues of the Mozambican capital.

Source: Lusa