Mozambique police fire tear gas at protesters denouncing ‘rigged’ election

The African federation has been rocked by unit since its October 9 vote, won by the Frelimo party, which has been successful powerfulness for astir 50 years.

Police successful Mozambique person fired teardrop state successful the superior Maputo to disperse radical protesting against the authorities implicit alleged fraud successful last month’s elections.

The objection connected Thursday was the biggest yet against the governing Frelimo party, which was declared the victor of the October 9 election, extending its 49-year rule.

Large crowds of mostly young men barricaded streets with burning tyres and waved homemade signs successful enactment of absorption person Venancio Mondlane, who says the ballot was rigged and had called for a week of protests culminating connected Thursday.

As the protesters marched towards the metropolis centre, constabulary tried to halt them by utilizing teardrop gas.

Protesters respond during a objection against the predetermination outcome, successful Luis Cabral township successful Maputo, Mozambique connected November 7, 2024 [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]

In an interrogation with AFP quality agency, Mondlane, who claims to beryllium the existent victor of the election, said it was a “crucial moment” for the country.

“I consciousness that determination is simply a revolutionary ambiance … that shows that we are connected the verge of a unsocial humanities and governmental modulation successful the country,” said Mondlane, speaking from an undisclosed location.

The 50-year-old erstwhile vigor presenter said helium could not disclose his whereabouts different than to accidental helium was not successful Africa. He near Mozambique past period pursuing the unrest. He initially said helium would beryllium astatine Thursday’s march, but connected Wednesday told AFP helium wouldn’t instrumentality aft each owed to information concerns.

The Mozambique Bar Association connected Thursday warned determination were “conditions for a bloodbath” arsenic a dense information beingness was seen deployed crossed the capital.

“The attack of the constabulary has been to effort to halt the demonstrations by utilizing teardrop state and different weapons, and they person utilized unrecorded gunfire implicit the past 2 weeks connected respective occasions,” said Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb, reporting from Maputo, arsenic burning roadblocks and fume could beryllium seen down him.

“The constabulary person said that protests are allowed and volition beryllium allowed to proceed arsenic agelong arsenic they are peaceful, but it seems adjacent radical marching peacefully person been violently dispersed,” Webb added.

Amnesty International says astatine slightest 20 radical person been killed successful protests since the predetermination – a fig that the section NGO the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights puts astatine 24.

A constabulary serviceman was besides killed successful a protestation implicit the weekend, Defence Minister Cristovao Chume told reporters connected Tuesday, informing the service could intervene “to support the interests of the state”.

“There is an volition to alteration the democratically established power,” said Chume.

President Filipe Nyusi is expected to measurement down aboriginal adjacent twelvemonth astatine the extremity of his two-term bounds and manus implicit powerfulness to Frelimo’s Daniel Chapo, who won the statesmanlike predetermination with 71 percent of the vote, according to the National Electoral Commission.

Mondlane, who has lodged a lawsuit astatine the Constitutional Council to petition a ballot recount, told AFP helium was “open to a authorities of nationalist unity”.

The authorities person restricted net entree crossed the country, successful what Human Rights Watch calls an effort to “suppress peaceful protests and nationalist disapproval of the government”.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has besides warned against “unnecessary oregon disproportionate force”, saying constabulary should “ensure that they negociate protests successful enactment with Mozambique’s planetary quality rights obligations”.

The Southern African Development Community has called for an bonzer acme betwixt November 16 and November 20 successful portion to sermon developments successful Mozambique.

Meanwhile, South Africa closed its borderline with Mozambique soon aft opening it connected Thursday. Authorities besides warned South Africans to postpone non-essential visits to the neighbouring country.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies