Government calls for approval of law to bring peace and ensure stability in Mozambique
Mozambique Elections: 16-year-old boy shot dead by police in Chiure , 12-year-old injured – police
1:52 CAT | 13 Oct 2023
Screen grab: Deutsche Welle
A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot by police in the district of Chiúre, in the Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, and another minor was injured during Renamo celebrations following the local elections, police said on Thursday.
The provincial command of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) in Cabo Delgado confirmed at a press conference that members of the police force fatally shot the minor with a “stray bullet”, and that another minor, aged 12, was injured, when they were both participating, at around 5:00 a.m., with supporters of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo, the largest opposition party) in victory celebrations in the municipal town of Chiúre after the announcement of preliminary results.
“The dead boy, as well as the injured boy, were throwing stones at the PRM,” a local source told Lusa.
The spokesperson for the PRM provincial command in Pemba, Mário Adolfo, confirmed the incident, which also involved elements of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, party in power), but denied that the two minors were Renamo supporters.
“Unfortunately, in this act of containing the spirits of Renamo party supporters, a stray bullet accidentally ended up hitting a 16-year-old citizen who was involved in the riot and also slightly injured a 12-year-old minor in his upper right limb,” Adolfo explained.
The PRM spokesperson also confirmed the arrest of ten Renamo members on charges of illegal demonstration and instigation of crime.
“Regarded as instigators, they are detained by the police and the respective documents have been filed, which, subsequently, will be sent to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, accused of the crime of illegal demonstration, instigation of crime,” Adolfo said.
The riots in Chiúre, which is currently governed by Renamo, took place on Mozambique’s Teacher’s Day. One teacher told Lusa that, despite this, no one went to Praça dos Heróis in the town to lay wreaths, as is customary, for fear of rioting.
“We were afraid because of the change in order in the town,” the teacher said, speaking from her home.
Of the 65 Mozambican municipalities that went to the polls on Wednesday, seven are in the province of Cabo Delgado.
Source: Lusa
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