Mozambique Elections: Police charge disperses protesters in central Maputo

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Mozambique Elections: Police charge disperses protesters in central Maputo

11:05 CAT | 21 Oct 2024

Photo: Lusa

Mozambican police this morning dispersed a demonstration in central Maputo called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, charging down dozens of people who had gathered at the scene of the murder of two supporters on Friday.

At around 10:00 a.m., the police launched tear gas grenades and fired shots in the air as they charged to disperse the protesters, who responded by throwing stones and setting off fireworks.

One journalist was injured during the police charge.

The clashes between the police and the protesters began around 07:30 a.m., with the police dispersing the groups that were beginning to gather to participate in a peaceful march.

The police are also using dogs, and a helicopter is flying low over the area where the march started – the site of Friday’s double murder.

The protesters shouted slogans such as “Save Mozambique!” and “This country is ours!”.

A polícia acaba de bloquear a entrada da Avenida Joaquim Chissano, perto de onde foi barbaramente assassinado #ElvinoDias. Muito gás lacrimogéneo disparado por aqui e com registo de feridos. A cidade Maputo está tensa, principalmente arredores do local do crime. Marcha impedida. pic.twitter.com/jqAsUsIWrO

— Alexandre Nhampossa (@AllexandreMZ) October 21, 2024

A morning recce of the Mozambican capital by Lusa revealed a city with unusually low traffic for the first day of the working week, and few public transport systems operating, although there was some pedestrian movement, and cafes were open.

“This will be the first stage, peaceful, in which we will paralyse all public and private activity. We will take to the streets with our posters, we will express our repudiation,” Venâncio Mondlane announced in Maputo on Saturday, at the site where two of his top aides were murdered.

Mondlane promised that the strike in the public and private sectors, which he had called for today in protest against the preliminary results of the October 9 elections, would continue, and would now take to the streets. He blamed the Defence and Security Forces (FDS) for the double homicide of his aides.

The Mozambican police confirmed to Lusa on Saturday that the vehicle in which Elvino Dias, Venâncio Mondlane’s lawyer, and Paulo Guambe, leader of Podemos, the party that supports Mondlane, were travelling and were shot dead, was “ambushed”.

The incident took place on Joaquim Chissano Avenue, in the centre of the capital. According to the police, a woman who was travelling in the back seat of the vehicle was also shot and taken to hospital.

The Mozambican police warned, before the double homicide that led to the march being called, that they would prevent any acts of violence of public disorder taking place today.

The general elections on 9 October included the seventh presidential elections – for which the current head of state, Filipe Nyusi, who has reached the two-term limit, was no longer standing – at the same time as legislative elections and elections for provincial assemblies and governors.

The National Electoral Commission (CNE) has 15 days to announce the official results, a date that falls on 24 October, after which the Constitutional Council will proclaim the results, after also concluding the analysis of any appeals. There is no deadline set for the latter decision.

Source: Lusa