Mozambique: Security forces disperse protesters shouting ‘Mondlane’

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Mozambique: Security forces disperse protesters shouting ‘Mondlane’

2:27 CAT | 15 Jan 2025

Police officers speak with demonstrators during the protests against the inauguration ceremony of Mozambique's fifth president, Daniel Chapo (not seen), at the edge of Independence Square, where the ceremony took place, in Maputo, Mozambique, 15 January 2025. [Photo: Estevao Chavisso/Lusa]

Mozambican security forces today dispersed with batons dozens of protesters shouting “Mondlane” just 300 metres from where the new president was being sworn in in the centre of the capital.

Dozens of police, military personnel and canine police teams prevented the protesters from approaching Independence Square, where Daniel Chapo was sworn in as President of Mozambique.

The protesters, organized in different groups, also shouted “Salve Moçambique” and sang the Mozambican anthem and saying they merely wanted to watch the inauguration, but they were prevented from doing so by the police.

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The Mozambican capital is under heavy security measures today and there had already been other police interventions to disperse protesters setting fire to tires on the road at the entrance to the centre of Maputo shortly before the inauguration.

Meanwhile, also this morning, n the Bairro Luís Cabral area, groups of young people began setting fire to tires at around 9:00 local time (two hours less in Lisbon), blocking the N4, which connects Matola to the entrance to Maputo, leading the police to fire several shots in an attempt to disperse them.

Chapo was sworn in today in Maputo as the fifth President of the Republic of Mozambique, the first to be born after the country’s independence, in a ceremony attended by around 2,500 guests and heads of state.

On December 23, Chapo, 48, was proclaimed by the Constitutional Council (CC) as the winner of the election for President of the Republic, with 65.17% of the votes, in the general elections of October 9, which included legislative and provincial assembly elections, which Frelimo also won.

Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognize the election results, called for three days of strikes and demonstrations, starting on Monday, contesting the inauguration of the deputies elected to the Assembly of the Republic and the inauguration of the new President of the Republic.

The election of Daniel Chapo has been contested on the streets since October, with supporters of Venâncio Mondlane, who claims victory despite, according to the CC, obtaining only 24% of the votes, demanding the “re-establishment of the electoral truth”, with barricades, looting and clashes with the police, who have fired shots in their attempt to quell the movement.

Source: Lusa