Post-election protests in Mozambique leave dozens dead and injured

At least 33 people died on December 25, 2024, in eClashes with security forces after the escape of 1,534 prisoners from a prison on the outskirts of the capital of MozambiqueMaputo, caused by the post-election protests that broke out last Monday, the Police reported.

The escape occurred in the Penitentiary Establishment of the Province of Maputo (south) in Matola, a maximum security prison, indicated the general commander of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique, Bernardino Rafael, at a press conference in the capital.

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“We recorded an escape of inmates from the central prison of the city of Matola, where 2,500 prisoners were interned. The circumstances of the escape were that around 1:00 p.m., a group of subversive protesters approached the establishment, making noise and demanding to be able to remove the prisoners who are serving their sentences there,” Rafael explained.

“This agitation from the outside caused disturbances inside the prison that caused the collapse of the wall that separates (…) another prison next door, and they took the opportunity to escape through the doors. There was a confrontation with colleagues who guarantee security, but they were unable to arrest the prisoners. 1,534 inmates escaped“he noted.

The commander revealed that “This direct confrontation with the inmates and the protesters left 33 dead and 15 injured.“.

Search operations by security forces “They managed to arrest 150 inmates“.

Rafael warned that in the next 48 hours “a sharp increase in crime is expected in the city of Maputo” and asked “all of society to unite to combat this deliberate way of increasing crime” in the country.

The police commander also stated that, “In the last 24 hours alone, protesters invaded the Manhiça prison (Maputo province) and released the prisoners”although it did not specify the number of inmates released.

Likewise, he added, “they tried to free the prisoners in the Mabalane prison (south)”, from where “29 convicted terrorists escaped (…), one of whom is highly dangerous”.

Protests in Mozambique

Rafael made these statements after the NGO Electoral Platform Decide indicated that At least 56 people died in Mozambique during violent protests that broke out between Monday and Tuesday after the final results of the October 9 general elections were announced. that gave victory to the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo).

The NGO published this data after the Minister of the Interior, Pascoal Ronda, indicated this Tuesday that crimes were committed. “236 acts of serious violence throughout the national territory resulting in 21 deaths,” including two police officers, and 25 injuries (13 civilians and 12 police officers) during the protests.

Ronda made this evaluation after the Constitutional Council, the highest judicial body for electoral and constitutional matters, confirmed this Monday the victory of Daniel Chapo, Frelimo’s presidential candidate, in the elections, although the opposition rejected the results.

The main opposition leader and presidential candidate, Venâncio Mondlane, who has been calling for demonstrations since October 21, He demanded the “electoral truth” on Monday.

The candidate of Frelimo obtained 65.17% of the votesalthough these data differ from those disclosed on October 24 by the National Elections Commission (CNE), which granted Chapo 70.67% of the votes.

The results allow Frelimo, which has led the country since its independence from Portugal in 1975, to remain in power.

The independent Mondlane, who has the support of the Popular Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (PODEMOS), He was second with 24.19% of the vote, above the 20.32% that the CNE granted him.

Behind them were Ossufo Momade, of the historic and until now main force of the opposition Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), with 6.62%; and Lutero Simango, of the Mozambican Democratic Movement (MDM), with 4.02%.

The Constitutional Court admitted irregularities in the vote, but assured that “they did not substantially influence the transparency of the process.”

Since October 21, Mondlane has called for days of general strike and mobilizations against the CNE electoral results, which have been harshly repressed by the security forces.

As of Monday, at least 131 people had died during the protests as a result of the police response, according to figures from the Mozambican organization Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD).

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