At least 21 people killed in unrest in Mozambique after top court’s election decision. election news
Following Monday’s approval of elections contested in October, a new wave of protests is underway.
The interior minister says at least 21 people have been killed in unrest after Mozambique’s top court confirmed ruling party Frelimo’s victory in disputed elections.
Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda said at a news conference on Tuesday that at least two police officers were among the dead.
A total of “236 incidents of serious violence were recorded” in the Portuguese-speaking African country since Monday, he said, injuring at least 25 people, including 13 police officers.
The protests began after the Constitutional Council confirmed FRELIMO as the winner. Protesters and opposition groups say the October 9 vote was rigged.
Ronda told public broadcaster TVM that 78 people had been arrested so far and security measures had been tightened across the country. “The armed forces will increase their presence at important and key points,” he said.
FRELIMO has been repeatedly accused of vote rigging by opponents and election observers. It has denied the allegations.
Supporters of opposition candidate Venancio Mondlane began protesting on Monday night as the top court announced that ruling party’s Daniel Chapo had won the presidential election.
Protestors have been accused of attacking and vandalizing police stations, petrol stations, banks and other public facilities.
Reporting from Maputo, Al Jazeera’s Haru Mutasa said protesters burned tires and blocked roads.
“It was their way of shutting down Mozambique,” he said. “People say they are tired of years of corruption and unemployment.”
Mutasa said some youths were demanding money from motorists to drive to some places. “Although these protests may have started over the election results, it seems some elements have come in trying to infiltrate them,” he said.
Mozambique has been witnessing violent protests since late October when election authorities declared Chapo, 47, the winner of the presidential election.
More than 130 people have been killed since October 21, according to human rights and civil society groups, who have also accused Mozambican security forces of using excessive violence to suppress protests.
Following Monday’s announcement by the Constitutional Council, Mondlane took to social media to ask his supporters to prepare themselves for “difficult days to come”.
“History is made of thorny, rocky moments, but the truth is that victory is guaranteed to us all,” Mondlane wrote on Facebook.
