After Monday’s ratification of contested October elections, a brand new wave of protests is beneath manner.
At the very least 21 folks have been killed in unrest since Mozambique’s high courtroom confirmed the governing social gathering Frelimo’s victory in disputed elections, the inside minister says.
The useless embrace a minimum of two cops, Inside Minister Pascoal Ronda mentioned at a information convention on Tuesday.
A complete of “236 acts of significant violence have been reported” since Monday throughout the Portuguese-speaking African nation, by which a minimum of 25 folks have been wounded, together with 13 cops, he mentioned.
The protests started after Frelimo was confirmed the winner by the Constitutional Council. Protesters and opposition teams say the October 9 vote was rigged.
Seventy-eight folks have been arrested to date and safety measures have been tightened throughout the nation, Ronda advised public broadcaster TVM. “The armed forces will enhance their presence in vital and key factors,” he mentioned.
Frelimo has been repeatedly accused by opponents and election observers of rigging votes. It has denied the accusations.
As quickly as the highest courtroom introduced the governing social gathering’s Daniel Chapo had received the presidential election, supporters of the opposition candidate, Venancio Mondlane, started protesting on Monday evening.
Protesters have been accused of attacking and vandalising police stations, petrol stations, banks and different public services.
Reporting from Maputo, Al Jazeera’s Haru Mutasa mentioned the protesters burned tyres and blocked roads.
“This was their manner of shutting down Mozambique,” she mentioned. “Folks say they’re bored with years of corruption and unemployment.”
Mutasa mentioned some younger males have been asking motorists for cash to drive by means of some locations. “Whereas these protests might have began off over the election consequence, it appears some parts have are available in to try to infiltrate them,” she mentioned.
Mozambique has seen violent protests since late October when the electoral authorities declared 47-year-old Chapo the winner of the presidential election.
Greater than 130 folks have been killed since October 21, in keeping with human rights and civil society teams which have additionally accused Mozambican safety forces of utilizing extreme violence to quell the protests.
After Monday’s announcement by the Constitutional Council, Mondlane requested his supporters on social media to brace themselves for “tough days forward”.
“Historical past is made from thorny, rocky moments, however the reality is that victory is assured for all of us,” Mondlane wrote on Fb.