Post-electoral: Escape of over 1,500 prisoners from Maputo Prison leaves 33 dead

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Post-electoral: Escape of over 1,500 prisoners from Maputo Prison leaves 33 dead

9:13 CAT | 26 Dec 2024

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Noticias]

At least 1,534 inmates escaped yesterday afternoon from Maputo’s Central Maximum-Security Prison, in what the police commander-general described as a “premeditated” action tied to post-election protests, resulting in 33 deaths.

“We expect a sharp rise in all forms of crime in Maputo city over the next 48 hours,” stated Bernardino Rafael during a press conference held last night. He confirmed that only 150 prisoners had been recaptured so far, among them “highly dangerous terrorists.”

“Curiously, there were 29 convicted terrorists in that prison, and they were freed. We are concerned, as a country, as Mozambicans, and as members of the Defense and Security Forces,” said Rafael. The Central Prison of Maputo, located in Matola, about 14 kilometers from the capital’s center, housed approximately 2,500 inmates. According to Rafael, the escape occurred at around 1:00 p.m. local time (11:00 a.m. in Lisbon), triggered by “agitation” caused by a “group of subversive protesters” nearby.

“They were making noise during their demonstrations, demanding the release of prisoners serving their sentences,” Rafael explained. This caused unrest inside the prison, leading to the collapse of a wall and enabling the escape despite “immediate confrontation” with prison guards.

“This confrontation resulted in 33 deaths among the prisoners and left 15 injured in the vicinity of the prison,” he added, urging the escaped prisoners to surrender voluntarily and appealing to the public for information on their whereabouts.

Rafael also revealed that, in the last 24 hours, there had been a similar incident at the Manhiça Prison in northern Maputo province, where protesters freed inmates, as well as an attempted escape at the Mabalane Prison.

“The protesters appear to prefer freeing prisoners and convicts. We don’t know their clear intentions. Perhaps the organizers of these subversive protests can explain why they choose such actions,” he stated.

Mozambique is experiencing its third consecutive day of street chaos following the announcement of the final general election results. The unrest includes looting, vandalism, and barricades, particularly in Maputo.

On Monday afternoon, Mozambique’s Constitutional Council declared Daniel Chapo, supported by the ruling party Frelimo, the winner of the presidential election with 65.17% of the vote, succeeding Filipe Nyusi. Frelimo also retained its parliamentary majority in the October 9 elections.

This announcement has sparked nationwide chaos, with supporters of Venâncio Mondlane—who, according to the Constitutional Council, garnered only 24% of the vote—erecting barricades, looting, and clashing with police, who have been firing shots to disperse the protests.

At least 56 people have died, and 152 have been shot in Mozambique since Monday due to protests against the election results, according to figures released today by the Decide platform.

The NGO, which monitors Mozambique’s electoral processes, reported that 31 deaths occurred in Sofala province in the country’s center, nine in northern Nampula, and six in Maputo city and province in the south.

Among the 152 shootings, 56 were recorded in Maputo city and another 56 in Sofala. The NGO also noted 102 arrests, with 40 in the capital city, where one person has been reported missing.

Source: Lusa