Mozambique Elections: Police report five killed and 37 injured in last five days – Watch

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Mozambique Elections: Police report five killed and 37 injured in last five days – Watch

8:15 CAT | 19 Nov 2024

Screen grab: Miramar

In the last five days, at least five people died and another 37 were injured in 51 demonstrations contesting the election results in Mozambique, the Mozambican police announced yesterday.

The five deaths occurred in incidents where “individuals placed barricades on the public highway and charged illegal fees for drivers to circulate”, said Orlando Modumane, spokesperson for the general command of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) at a press conference in Maputo.

According to Modumane, of the 37 injured, 20, including five PRM officers, were injured during the demonstrations and another 17 were injured in night-time traffic accidents that occurred in crowds.

Modumane described the 51 demonstrations as “violent and tumultuous”, stating that at least 24 commercial establishments were looted and seven vehicles, six houses and 10 tents were set on fire, in addition to several state institutions, including schools and police subunits, being vandalised.

“The acts of vandalism, looting and pillaging extend to the mining areas of the country, where the perpetrators burned camps and machinery,” Mudumane added, enumerating a total of 136 arrests and 46 criminal proceedings instituted throughout the country.

The police reported that there was an increase in the number of people on public roads, stating that at “no time” were peaceful demonstrations seen, but only violent ones, led by “individuals with criminal conduct, under the influence of alcohol and other psychotropic substances who cause anarchy and chaos in urban centres”.

“What we want to ensure is that the Police of the Republic of Mozambique always acts in a manner that is proportionate to what is happening on the ground. Therefore, some regrettable situations that may occur are unfortunately due to the conduct of criminals, it should be noted, who infiltrate the demonstrations and end up creating total terror,” Modumane added, appealing to people not to join violent demonstrations.

The demonstrations have been called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who denies the victory of Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo, declared the winner with 70.67% of the votes, according to results announced by the National Electoral Commission (CNE).

According to the CNE, Mondlane came in second place, with 20.32%, but he has said he does not recognize the results, still to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council, which has no deadline for the purpose and is still analysing the dispute.

After street protests that paralyzed the country on October 21, 24 and 25, Mondlane called for a seven-day general strike starting October 31, with nationwide protests and a demonstration culminating in Maputo on Thursday, November 7. This resulted in chaos in the capital, with barricades erected, tires burned, and tear gas fired by the police throughout the day to disperse the protests.

Venâncio Mondlane has announced that the protests will continue until electoral credibility is restored.