Mozambique: Military admit running over young woman in election protests in Maputo

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Mozambique: Military admit running over young woman in election protests in Maputo

6:06 CAT | 27 Nov 2024

Photo: Luisa Nhantumbo/Lusa

The Mozambique Armed Defence Forces (FADM) said on Wednesday that they had run over a young woman in the Mozambican capital, explaining that the vehicle was “on a mission to protect economic assets” from demonstrators and that the victim was taken to hospital.

“This vehicle was on a mission to protect essential economic assets, clean and unblock roads, as part of the post-election demonstrations and was part of a duly signposted military column,” reads a press release from Mozambique’s Ministry of Defence to which Lusa had access.

The document also states that the victim was ‘promptly assisted’ at Maputo Central Hospital, ensuring that he is receiving ‘adequate’ hospital treatment.

“The Armed Forces deeply regret what happened and assume full responsibility for the victim’s medical and psychosocial care, however, they call on the public to meticulously observe safety measures regarding respect for the highway code and the prioritisation of military vehicles,” the government document adds.

A family source confirmed to Lusa that the young woman who was run over this morning by a military vehicle during protests in the centre of the Mozambican capital is in a serious condition.

The source said that the victim is under the care of health professionals at Maputo Central Hospital (HCM), the country’s largest hospital unit, which also confirmed to Lusa that the young woman who was hit by the vehicle is under medical observation.

The Mozambican Bar Association (OAM) said it was monitoring the case and promised to comment later.

The centre of Maputo has been in chaos since this morning, with dozens of demonstrators stoning police vehicles in streets that were completely blocked off after the military ran over a young woman while she was protesting in the centre of Eduardo Mondlane Avenue.

Traffic on several central avenues in Maputo is completely blocked by demonstrators, who are preventing movement, while the police are responding with tear gas, in new protests against the process of the Mozambican general elections on 9 October, called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.

The running over of the young woman by an armoured military vehicle travelling at high speed, at around 9.30am local time, led to the anger of the demonstrators, who until then had only been cutting off traffic on practically all of Maputo’s central streets.

When any police vehicle passed by, including armoured vehicles, the demonstrators responded by throwing stones and sticks, at least on Eduardo Mondlane and Guerra Popular avenues, in the centre of the Mozambican capital.

At around 11:00 local time, the authorities fired real bullets and were surrounded by dozens of people.

Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane called on the Mozambican public to leave their cars in the streets from 8am for three days, starting today, with election protest posters until they return from work.

Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane has called these demonstrations, which have degenerated into clashes with the police – who have resorted to firing tear gas and shots to disperse them – as a way of contesting the award of victory to Daniel Chapo, the candidate supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, in power), with 70.67% of the vote, according to the results announced on 24 October by the National Electoral Commission (CNE), which have yet to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.

As Forças Armadas “lamentam profundamente” o atropelo contra uma manifestante hoje na cidade de Maputo e assumem “total responsabilidade” na assistência médica e psicossocial da vítima. O comunicado diz que foi um atropelo acidental. Vídeos mostram claramente que foi intencional. pic.twitter.com/9rptiYOR4s

— Alexandre Nhampossa (@AllexandreMZ) November 27, 2024